Dante Mcgrapth

Progressive beverage operations leader with multi-outlet hospitality experience delivering beverage program development, menu engineering, and multiunit training for high-volume hotel restaurants and events. Strong mixology and craft-cocktail knowledge, vendor relationships, recipe standardization, and SOP enforcement to ensure consistent execution across outlets. Proven P&L ownership, beverage COGS control, inventory forecasting, margin management, and preopening/remodel beverage program development.

Director of Outlets - MANCHESTER GRAND HYATT - San Diego, CA

(2024-03 - 2026-03)

• Directed day-to-day restaurant, bar and room service operations across five outlets; managed 75+ servers, bartenders, stewards and supervisors and owned hiring, scheduling, mentoring, training and succession planning to sustain service levels and labor productivity.
• Developed and rolled out cocktail and beverage menu changes (including quarterly updates), standardized recipes and batching methods to ensure consistent execution and cost control across outlets.
• Forecasted and managed labor, food and beverage budgets; aligned staffing and promotions with Sales/Marketing and citywide events to reduce overtime and improve labor cost control.
• Managed a $10M high-end dining remodel—reinvented menus and expanded the cocktail/beverage program—while overseeing vendor partnerships and ensuring SOP/LSOP, safety and sanitation compliance to protect assets and guest experience.
• Partnered with PR and Marketing to design targeted promotions, in-house events and buffet presentations tied to citywide happenings, driving incremental revenue and guest engagement.

Director of Outlets - HYATT REGENCY AUSTIN - Austin, TX

(2022-07 - 2024-03)

• Directed restaurant, bar and event operations for high-volume periods (including SXSW, F1 Grand Prix), leading a team of 40 servers, bartenders, stewards, supervisors and baristas while enforcing SOP compliance and guest service standards.
• Performed inventory and sales analysis, managed P&L and pricing initiatives, and forecasted labor, food and beverage costs to meet budget targets while maintaining service levels.
• Managed liquor inventory and negotiated distributor and vendor contracts to maximize margins and strengthen cost controls; regularly reviewed inventories and adjusted ordering to maintain financial goals.
• Developed surge pricing models and targeted promotions in collaboration with Marketing, increasing revenue during peak periods and capturing a larger share of the in-house and local market.

Director of Service - THE AUSTIN CLUB - Austin, TX

(2022-01 - 2022-07)

• Directed events from concept to execution for groups of 5–250 guests, leading a team of 15 servers, bartenders, stewards and supervisors and ensuring banquet standards and BEO compliance.
• Performed inventory and sales analysis, managed P&L and staffing to maintain service standards while improving labor productivity.
• Managed inventory and distributor partnerships to negotiate rates and improve profitability through tighter cost controls and portion management.
• Maintained the Club's standard of excellence through staff training, coaching and succession planning to support member retention and referral-driven growth.

General Manager - VERBENA, CANOPY BY HILTON - Austin, TX

(2021-04 - 2021-12)

• Revitalized the restaurant concept through inventory and sales analysis, targeted hiring and retraining, and implementation of operating procedures and systems, increasing revenue and reducing beverage cost by 18%.
• Reduced food costs from 41% to 32% within three months via menu engineering, portion control and pricing adjustments while maintaining sanitation and safety standards.
• Implemented operational improvements (POS migration Agilysys → Aloha, updated payroll processes, clarified staff titles) that improved productivity and job satisfaction.
• Drove guest satisfaction through hands-on leadership of 30 direct reports, ensuring staff knowledge of menu and cocktails to better engage guests and lift service scores.

Bartender – Arlo Grey, Lakeside Restaurant and P6 Roof Top - THE LINE HOTEL AUSTIN - Austin, TX

(2018-06 - 2021-01)

• Provided stellar guest experiences following hotel standards; assumed ownership of service issues and executed recoveries with empathy to restore satisfaction.
• Maintained knowledge of 100+ mixed drinks, wines and beers; created unique cocktails to guest requests and supported cocktail menu development while ensuring proper pours, consistency and cost control.
• Managed bar inventory levels for beer, juices, soft drinks, glassware and garnishes to support service continuity and maintain sanitation standards.

Bar Manager - W HOTEL BELLEVUE - Bellevue, WA

(2017-06 - 2018-01)

• Led a team of 12 bartenders and servers to deliver luxury service standards for a new 245‑room hotel; spearheaded Grand Opening events and special promotions.

Assistant Bar Manager - W HOTEL AUSTIN - Austin, TX

(2014-02 - 2017-05)

• Regulated labor and operating expenses through strategic scheduling, skill-based hiring, inventory control and staff training to improve profitability.
• Influenced $1.7M+ in bar revenue within seven months by implementing upsell training, unique promotions and targeted local marketing.
• Supervised multiple concurrent events achieving high guest satisfaction scores; collaborated with Marketing to secure sponsorships and special events.
• Achieved high guest satisfaction scores across multiple outlets while leading a 20‑person team and maintaining consistent service standards.
• Maintained beverage costs at 20%, 3% below the 2015 allocation, through inventory controls and pricing strategies.
• Launched 'Women's Club Wednesday' and created the 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' event (over $30k in single-day Pool Bar sales), driving education-focused programming and incremental revenue.
• Cultivated partnerships with spirit brands and distributors to negotiate product placements and seasonal offers; partnered with Sales on banquets to support high-capacity service operations.

Food and Beverage Supervisor, Banquets - W NEW ORLEANS – FRENCH QUARTER - New Orleans, LA

(2010-01 - 2013-12)

• Led banquet and catering operations and executed Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) to deliver high-quality events.
• Successfully executed weddings, conferences, meetings and charity functions while coordinating staffing, setup and service.
• Performed internal audits of daily and weekly sales and compared results to labor cost and inventory to help balance the P&L.
• Managed staff scheduling and processed payroll including gratuities for servers; collaborated on events that brought in over $75,000, including Budweiser‑sponsored functions.