Catering & Private Events Manager

At Thompson Hospitality, we deliver memorable dining and event experiences with a commitment to excellence, hospitality, and flawless execution. We're seeking a driven and dynamic Catering & Private Events Manager to support and grow a high-volume catering and private events program across multiple locations.

This role is on the front lines of the inquiry process and on-site at events, supporting high-quality events with responsiveness, precision, and professionalism. It is an excellent opportunity for a hospitality professional looking to grow into senior events or brand leadership roles, while actively building new business and long-term client relationships.

The Catering & Private Events Manager supports one or more brands in the sales and oversight of group dining, semi-private, private dining events, and catering across multiple restaurant locations in the DMV area, with a focus on both servicing inbound inquiries and proactively developing new business.

Responsibilities include prompt response to inquiries, attentive client interaction, clear written and verbal communication, event coordination, data administration, and overall delivery of exceptional guest experiences. This role requires flexibility, organization, and the ability to work across corporate offices and restaurant locations, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Client Management

• Support and manage the sales process for group dining, private events, and catering through prompt response, accurate data collection, and professional communication
• Serve as the primary point of contact for private dining and catering clients from inquiry through post-event follow-up
• Proactively pursue new catering and private events business through outreach, networking, and relationship-building
• Develop and maintain relationships with corporate, social, and community clients to generate repeat and referral business
• Identify new market opportunities, accounts, and partnerships to expand the events pipeline
• Communicate opportunities, priorities, and needs to the Director in a timely manner

Event Planning & Execution

• Coordinate event details including menus, timelines, layouts, staffing, and logistics
• Arrange and lead client walkthroughs
• Act as on-site client liaison during events as needed
• Collaborate with culinary and operations teams to ensure seamless execution

Administrative & Financial Support

• Proactively and accurately update estimates, guarantees, and final bills
• Produce weekly and monthly reports
• Administer subcontracted vendors and contracts and ensure timely payment

Standards & Guest Experience

• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and sanitation standards
• Support guest satisfaction, repeat business, and referrals through attention to detail

Schedule & Work Environment

This position requires a flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays based on event bookings. In-office and on-site work across multiple restaurant locations is required.

• 2+ years’ experience in hospitality, restaurants, catering, or hotels
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
• Strong customer service, organization, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and prioritize under pressure
• Experience with Toast, OpenTable, and TripleSeat a plus
• ServSafe and/or alcohol service certification preferred

Competitive Benefits:

• Health/Dental/Vision
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k), matched up to 4%
• Short and Long Term Disability
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Referral Program
• Pet Insurance
• Discounts: Hotels, Travel, Tickets, Restaurants
• Employees and their relatives are eligible for a discounted meal plan at any of our HBCU client locations while they are attending school

Who We Are:

Thompson Hospitality is the nation’s largest minority-owned food and facilities management company. Our services include hospitality, full dining and quick service restaurants, campus dining, diversity consultation, facility operations and maintenance management.  We are a family-run organization with more than thirty years providing services built on our core mission to provide a positive experience to every relationship we are involved in: one guest, one client, one team member at a time.  As a fast growing company, we have a growth plan to more than double in size over the next three years.  We are looking for team members who are interested in developing their careers to the next level while joining our team of over 4,000 employees, serving clients in over 40 states to include more than 1.9 million guests each year. Thompson Hospitality focuses on three core areas in everything we do:

• Purpose

• Give back to our communities
• Celebrate diversity

• People

• Do the right thing
• Treat people the way you want to be treated
• Always do your best
• Be accountable for our actions

• Performance

• Serve the highest quality food
• Provide world-class service

We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.