Manager, Cafe Marketing Operations

Our team members are the key to our company’s success, and their health and well-being, as well as that of their families, is very important to us. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that allows our team members stay healthy, plan for their future and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Benefits may vary with employment status.  To see our fill list of Team Member Benefits please visit our career site: www.gotoworkhappy.com/benefits

Job Description:

The Restaurant Marketing Manager is responsible for developing, coordinating, and executing marketing initiatives at Hard Rock Cafe to drive guest traffic, increase revenue, and strengthen brand presence. This role collaborates with local, regional, and global teams, as well as agency partners, to ensure the consistent, high-quality execution of all promotions in line with brand guidelines. The role owns local marketing responsibilities across PR/social, activations, partnerships, advertising, and cafe live entertainment.

Success in this position comes from delivering clear, effective, on-brand deliverables in a timely manner that support operators in growing guest visits, top-line revenue, and bottom-line profitability. This requires knowledge of trends, strong industry & community relationships, and expertise in restaurant, retail, and entertainment environments. The ideal candidate must be a results-driven, self-starter with strong instincts and adaptability, who is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Essential Functions:

• Restaurant Marketing Support
  • Execute and amplify brand campaigns and initiatives with strong attention to location awareness
  • Assist with annual local calendar planning; create and own local-relevant OpenTable experiences, campaigns and offers end-to-end to drive foot traffic and increase revenue for the cafe and retail
  • Support creative asset development; maintain on-site collateral and own the customer journey
  • Build activation decks and support materials for LTOs, local & brand campaigns, and menu launches
  • Provide weekly updates to leadership on project status and upcoming initiatives; create recaps and best-practice documentation for major initiatives and AOP deliverables; track KPIs and run post-mortems to inform optimization and next steps
• PR and Social Media
  • Lead local PR efforts, including securing media coverage, in partnership with brand PR and agency teams
  • Serve as liaison to brand PR department and agency, local PR agency, and social media agency
  • Develop a local content calendar, oversee asset production, and coordinate paid social (Meta) approach with agency partners via approved platforms
  • Position the cafe as a must-go for tourists and locals using current trends within brand guidelines
  • Manage influencer partnerships from sourcing & briefing, through execution and post-campaign recaps
  • Ensure compliance with brand standards, influencer disclosure requirements, and content usage rights (photo/video/music) across all channels
  • Support reputation management channels by monitoring review trends and escalating operational opportunities and guest sentiment insights to cafe leadership
  • Coordinate timely, on-brand responses in partnership with the GM/Operations (as designated)
  • Support accuracy of key listings (hours, contact info, menus, events) and ensure updates are communicated across relevant platforms.
• Local and Brand Partnerships & Activations
  • Activate and amplify global brand campaigns, partnerships and activations on a local level to drive sales and awareness
  • Identify opportunities to expand these initiatives and deliver events that drive awareness and revenue
  • Develop and maintain local partnerships, maximize opportunities for location/brand awareness, community involvement, and revenue
  • Nurture industry relationships with major entertainment, beverage and sports companies and develop key relationships to drive cafe live programming
  • Develop new relationships with key players & brands aligned with Hard Rock Cafe
  • Head up philanthropic partnerships, activations, and new opportunities
• OOH and Digital Advertising
  • Coordinate local OOH, digital advertising, and radio initiatives with agency partners to maximize budget efficiency and reach in the local market
  • Oversee brand vibe, messaging and storytelling on digital marquee and other placements
  • Support street-level/guerrilla marketing concepts and local activations as appropriate 
  • Partner with agencies on campaign reporting and insights; share performance learnings with leadership
• Cafe Live Music Programming
  • Identify and pursue new live music opportunities in the cafe, support weekly live music programs
  • Serve as a primary liaison for cafe DJs, live bands, and VIPs
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with talent management and production teams
  • Collaborate with AV and production teams to ensure seamless sound, lighting, and performance setups, including sound checks, load-ins, and load-outs
  • Develop and maintain a diverse and engaging entertainment schedule
  • Ensure all technical riders and artist requirements are met
  • Fulfill hospitality needs and green room setups
• Budgeting
  • Assist with budgeting, expense tracking, and vendor payments with accountability for tracking spend against budget and supporting P&L performance

Qualifications:

• Education & Experience
  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Hospitality, or related field preferred
  • 3+ years of experience in restaurant marketing, retail marketing, live entertainment marketing or cross‑functional project support required
  • Candidate with access to photography equipment to support social media creation preferred
• Skills and Competencies
  • Understanding of annual operating plan execution and brand storytelling
  • Proficient in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiar with event management platforms
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across local and global teams as well as agency partners
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders and balance competing priorities
  • Exceptional organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects/events simultaneously
  • Outstanding communication skills, ability to think quickly and solve problems in high-pressure situations with attention to detail
  • High energy and strong interpersonal skills, with a passion for entertainment and marketing
  • Adaptability in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment
  • Analytical thinking for market research, menu insights, and performance reporting
  • Guest‑centric mindset with a focus on creating tools and programs that help restaurants drive traffic and sales
• Physical and Environmental Requirements
  • Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the venue for long periods
  • Comfortable working in a loud, fast-paced environment with exposure to music and crowds
  • Ability to lift and move objects weighing up to 25 pounds as needed
  • Flexibility to work late nights, weekends, and holidays based on event schedules
• Work Environment
  • Fast-paced office environment
  • Primarily office‑based with occasional off‑site support for photo shoots, activations, or cafe visits
  • Dynamic, high-energy restaurant environment with exposure to live music, guests, and high-volume operations
  • Frequent interaction with artists, bands, DJs, promoters, and nightlife clients, ensuring smooth execution of events
• Compensation​​
• Salary plus Commissions Earned ( compensation range $75,000 + 3% Sales Commissions)

Disclaimer: This job description reflects the position’s essential functions; it does not encompass all tasks that may be assigned. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the current job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technical developments).

Pay Range: