Bar/venue manager

Odd Culture Group is breaking new ground with its newest development: wine bar & bottle shop Odd Culture Fitzroy. 

Odd Culture’s Newtown outpost opened in late 2021 to great acclaim; being named TimeOut’s #1 bar in Sydney, and awarded a chefs hat in the 2023 Good Food Guide. Seated on Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street, the brand new Fitzroy outpost of Odd Culture is the group’s first venue in Victoria, and a realisation of our marked focus on natural wine, craft beer and spirits made by producers with conscious farming efforts, working sustainably, organically and/or biodynamically, offering an honest expression of terroir, using native yeasts, bacteria and cultures. 

The concept is a bar-and-bottleshop mashed into one, with a menu of bar snacks fit to the calibre of the Newtown outpost, and it finds it home in the glorious former Fitzroy Post Office building. The space is due to open at the start of July, and is much anticipated.

This is where you come in. We’re calling for a seasoned, bright and ambitious Bar Manager/2iC to coordinate and oversee the successful operation of the wine bar & store.

Reporting directly to the General Manager, you will be responsible for: 

• Maintaining accountability for the wine bar & bottle shop, its product ranging, stock control and order fulfillment, while maintaining a clear and concise line of communication with all customers
• Developing cocktails with fermentation as your base
• Maintaining accountability for the presentation of the physical store, ensuring that the bottle shop is always held to company standards and visually appealing (ie fridges and shelves stocked, all products are physically priced and/or barcoded)
• Communicate consistently with customers during service and ensure exceptional customer experiences, and take steps to appropriately rectify dissatisfaction where necessary
• Maintaining accountability for all POS/EFTPOS stations (Lightspeed K-Series), troubleshooting and problem-solving appropriately
• Effectively and competently operate accounting software to reconcile and monitor invoices for correct pricing, items purchased and delivered, without consistent error or inaccurate results
• Participate in weekly stocktake and actively maintain accountability for stock control, always following company procedure and protocol around stock movement and sales
• Maintaining accurate approved supplier contact lists, together with relevant group pricing information and standards, as well as blacklists for precluded suppliers
• Assist in monitoring and ordering non-consumables for the wine bar and bottle shop effectively and in accordance with established venue and group procedures
• Attending effective staff meetings and ensuring relevant points are actioned in a timely manner
• Adhering competently to group policies controlling maximum weekly hours and shift lengths dependent on contracted salaries, maximum shift lengths and break requirements
• Participating in group training programs as may be directed and advised from time to time
• Adhering to and ensuring adherence throughout the venue teams of all Work Health and Safety and other regulatory policies and procedures at all times
• Incorporating initiatives to reduce waste and introduce sustainable practices

You will need an understanding of and experience in:

• Bar management, compliance, atmosphere and presentation
• 3+ years in a similar role
• This role requires leadership and management skills, leading from the front with a hands on attitude
• Ordering, stocktake, cellar management and beer & wine knowledge is essential
• Extensive cocktail knowledge
• Store and service standards
• Implementing and controlling procedures which facilitate guest satisfaction
• Training and developing a team
• Excellent product knowledge, specifically related to natural beer and wine, minimal intervention products, wild ales, and everything funky
• Managing a bar in a busy metropolitan area 
• Bottle shop experience a bonus
• Great attention to detail

A career with Odd Culture Group:

• We believe in creating a sustainable industry for a career in hospitality – so we’ve got the perks to boot!
• Inclusion in our People & Odd Culture program, providing nationally-recognised training, dedicated mentorship, immersion in OCG projects, and progression in your chosen field
• Hands on mentorship from seasoned hospitality operators, creating a vison against the grain
• Group-wide staff discounts across our venues
• Support and assistance from a skilled and dynamic head office team
• Participate in venue initiatives for creative solutions across the group, with cash and bar tab prizes

So…the ball’s in your court! Apply with a copy of your CV and we’ll get in touch with you to chat about a career with Odd Culture Group.