Job Description
Undisclosed project — Director of Wine & Service
Opening role · June 2026━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
THE CONCEPT This project is a Japanese-French restaurant opening in New York's Lower East Side. Two distinct experiences — , a 16-seat counter and a craft cocktail lounge — share one kitchen and one standard: precision without pretension.
The culinary program is led by Jeffrey Hayashi, former Chef de Cuisine at RO and Bocuse d'Or Americas 2022 winner. The bar program is led by Richie Millwater, former Beverage Director at Eleven Madison Park.
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THE ROLE This is a founding position. The Director of Wine & Service will build the wine program from zero and set the standard for how guests experience both rooms. The role carries two responsibilities equally: curating a serious, intelligent cellar, and owning the FOH service culture — the rituals, the training, the floor presence that defines the guest experience.
Minimum credential: Advanced Sommelier (CMS), WSET Diploma Level 4, or equivalent.
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WINE PROGRAM · Build and curate the full wine list — approx. 1,500 bottles, $500K cellar value
· Design by-the-glass pairings in close collaboration with the kitchen
· Develop and own all vendor and importer relationships
· Manage wine purchasing, inventory, and cost targets alongside the Controller
· Represent the program on the floor — this is a hands-on, service-floor role
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SERVICE & OPERATIONS · Set and uphold FOH service standards across both rooms
· Lead all FOH training — wine, hospitality philosophy, and the guest journey
· Build the service culture from pre-opening alongside the GM
· Contribute to pre-opening SOPs, sequence of service, and floor choreography
· Partner with Bar Director Richie Millwater on the full beverage experience
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WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR · Advanced Sommelier (CMS) or equivalent
· Demonstrated experience in fine dining or tasting menu service
· Deep knowledge of wine regions relevant to Japanese cuisine: Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, natural and low-intervention producers, sake as complement
· The instinct and confidence to set a service culture, not just execute one
· Ability to build, price, and manage a list that is both intellectually serious and guest-accessible
· Strong floor presence — unhurried, warm, authoritative without performance
· Experience with beverage cost management and inventory systems
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PREFERRED · Master Sommelier candidate or MS credential
· Experience opening a restaurant or building a cellar from scratch
· Existing relationships with small-production importers
· Working knowledge of sake vocabulary and Japanese beverage culture
· Japanese language a genuine advantage
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COMPENSATION
$100,000 – $130,000 base salary, commensurate with credential and experience.
We take the program seriously — compensation will reflect that.
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TO APPLY
Submit your CV and a brief note on your approach to wine in a French Japanese culinary context.
No recruiters, please.
Job Tags
Full time