Manager, Beverage Operations and Product Development (Applebee's)

10 West Walnut Street Pasadena, CA 91103

Based in Pasadena, California, Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries, franchises restaurants under Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP® and Fuzzy's Taco Shop® brands. With over 3,500 restaurants combined in 18 countries and 354 franchisees as of December 31, 2023, Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website located at www.dinebrands.com.

The Beverage Operations and Product Development Manager is responsible for developing and implementing Applebee’s alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages for menus and promotions nationwide.

This individual participates and contributes to beverage ideation, product sourcing, drink development and commercialization, restaurant support and implementation for the Applebee’s Beverage Team.  In addition, this person will partner with Operations, Training, Architectural Design, and Purchasing Teams as the beverage expert on all tests, promotions, and ongoing maintenance of Applebee’s core beverage program.

Responsibilities:

• Product Development/Mixology: Ideate and innovate to build a cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, commercialize recipes, run tastings, and execute product showcases in Applebee’s Test Bar
• Core Program Maintenance: Manage ongoing maintenance, communication and renovation of Applebee’s core beverage program materials pertaining to recipes, costs, equipment and procedures
• Beverage Subject Matter Expert:  Act as the beverage liaison for Training, Operations, Architectural Design, and Purchasing teams to support the development, testing, implementation and execution of all beverage-related activities
• Franchise Beverage Consultant:  Support Franchisees’ efforts in growing profitable beverage sales by assessing local market conditions and opportunities and providing recommendations 

Beverage Development:

• Through development and testing, build a pipeline of unique, innovative product offerings that will make Applebee’s stand out as a market leader in the casual dining segment
• Provide direction for core and signature cocktails and recipes based on brand strategy, consumer insights and business analytics
• Manage relationships with suppliers to optimize, commercialize, and scale signature drink menu offerings for both alcohol and non-alcohol recipes
• Revise and improve Applebee’s library of beverage recipes, drink-making procedures and core products on an ongoing basis
• Collaborate with peers and other cross functional departments on various projects/initiatives that impact beverage sales and innovation
• Align with Business Analytics and Consumer Insights Teams to make informed product decisions
• Conduct surveys and research with Franchisees and bar managers to gain front-line insights into the operation and needs of Applebee’s beverage program
• Conduct periodic business reviews and working sessions with suppliers
• Manage back bar mandates and provide recommendations for consolidation/expansion where appropriate
• Identify the effective solutions for completing beverage-related tasks and preparing contingencies to overcome unexpected challenges in the process
• Maintain high level knowledge of leading flavor trends and cocktails
• Maintain high level of knowledge of bar equipment, bartender tools and any relevant technology

Operations:

• Partner with Ops Services to ensure consistent, ongoing execution of all aspects of the Applebee’s beverage program
• Ensure timely rollouts and smooth execution of all beverage-related projects and initiatives at the restaurant level
• ‪Calibrate new beverages to align with current Applebee’s standards for recipes and procedures
• ‪Spearhead all beverage product tests
• ‪Seek feedback and align with the Franchise Operations Council on any new beverage procedures, product uses, proposed recipes and beverage inventory management
• ‪Partner with Operations and Training teams to identify beverage-related pain-points and opportunities within the Applebee’s system
• ‪Provide guidance and direction to fie