Director of Guest Experience

About Zingaro - Italian Restaurant and Bar

Italians are storytellers, and every great story is fueled by adventure. Zingaro—the traveler, the wanderer, the free spirit—is the perfect name to capture the essence of a restaurant that takes your guests on a journey across Italy, one dish at a time. A menu inspired by the roads less traveled, from the smoky flavors of Sicily to the earthy truffles of Umbria, to the rich, buttery pastas of Emilia-Romagna. Zingaro is about tasting it all, embracing the diverse, vibrant, and bold flavors that make Italy a culinary treasure. This name is more than a nod to the gypsy spirit—it's a celebration of culinary wanderlust, where each dish tells a tale of tradition and innovation. Just as the Zingaro roams freely, our restaurant invites you to embark on a sensory journey that captures the essence of Italy's diverse regions. Come for the vibe, stay for the food!

Partnership & Hiring Note: Zingaro is a partner restaurant of Fabio Viviani Hospitality Group. While we collaborate closely with the FVH team, all open positions are hired directly by Zingaro.

The Director of Guest Experience is responsible for elevating the end-to-end guest journey while driving incremental revenue through private events, catering sales, and high-touch VIP relationships. This role serves as the connective tissue between hospitality, sales, and brand, ensuring every guest interaction is intentional, personalized, and aligned with our standards of excellence.

A key component of this role is the development and management of a Black Book VIP Concierge program, cultivating long-term relationships with high-value guests, corporate partners, community leaders, and repeat event clients. This role is both guest-facing and commercially strategic, combining warm hospitality with disciplined sales execution.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience Leadership

• Own and elevate the full guest experience across dine-in, events, and catering touchpoints
• Establish hospitality standards that create consistency, warmth, and memorability
• Act as a visible presence for VIP guests, private events, and high-profile moments
• Partner with Operations to ensure service execution aligns with brand expectations

Private Events & Catering Sales (Primary Revenue Driver)

• Lead all private dining, buyouts, off-site catering, and special event sales
• Proactively generate new event and catering business through outreach, partnerships, andreferrals
• Manage the full sales lifecycle: inquiry → proposal → contract → execution → follow-up
• Build customized event experiences that reflect guest needs and brand standards
• Collaborate with culinary and operations teams to deliver seamless event execution
• Track leads, conversions, and revenue performance against targets

Black Book VIP Concierge Program

• Develop and maintain a VIP Black Book of high-value guests, corporate clients, and community influencers
• Personally manage relationships with top-tier guests and repeat event clients
• Create bespoke experiences for VIPs (priority reservations, curated menus, private tastings, chef moments)
• Serve as the primary point of contact for VIP dining and event needs
• Work with Marketing and PR to identify and activate high-impact guest relationships

Relationship Management & Community Engagement

• Build strong relationships with local businesses, corporate offices, hotels, event planners, and community organizations
• Represent the brand at community events, networking functions, and partner activations
• Drive repeat visitation and referral business through personalized follow-up and engagement

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in hospitality, guest experience, events, or sales-driven roles
• Proven success in private event sales and/or catering revenue generation
• Strong relationship-builder with a natural concierge mindset
• Excellent communication, organization, and follow-through
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with operations, culinary, marketing, and leadership
• High emotional intelligence with the ability to read guests and anticipate needs
• CRM or database experience a plus (OpenTable, Tripleseat, etc.)

What Success Looks Like

• Increased private event and catering revenue
• Strong repeat business and referral pipeline
• A well-maintained and active Black Book VIP program
• Guests who feel known, valued, and prioritized
• Seamless collaboration between guest experience, sales, and operations

This role is not just about service, t's about creating relationships that drive long-term loyalty andrevenue. The Director of Guest Experience is a brand ambassador, sales leader, and hospitalityexpert who ensures every interaction feels personal, elevated, and unforgettable.