Sales & Marketing Manager — Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge (San Francisco)

About Blue Whale
Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge is a sleek, upscale spot in San Francisco known for inventive Asian-inspired fusion and gracious hospitality—perfect for date nights and special occasions. Guests rave about the kitchen’s standout plates, from duck noodles and beef short rib to crispy wasabi tiger prawns, sesame prawn toast, and delicately crafted dumplings like the pork-and-truffle xiao long bao (XLB). Sea bass and other seasonal specials round out a menu that pairs beautifully with a thoughtful cocktail program.

The atmosphere is elegant yet relaxed, with a beautifully designed dining room and an inviting outdoor patio. Service is consistently friendly, attentive, and professional, elevating the overall experience. While Blue Whale sits at a higher price point, many diners feel the quality, creativity, and polished execution fully justify the splurge.

The Role

We’re looking for a hands-on Sales & Marketing Manager to grow reservations and private dining revenue, elevate our brand, and deepen guest loyalty. You’ll own the full commercial funnel—from demand generation and partnerships to reputation management and analytics—working closely with the GM, Culinary, and Bar teams.

Reports to: General Manager

Type: Full-time, on-site with occasional evenings/weekends for activations and events

Key Responsibilities

Revenue & Sales

· Build and execute a quarterly sales plan targeting corporate groups, hotels/concierges, DMCs, neighborhood businesses, and event planners.

· Prospect, pitch, and close private dining, partial and full buyouts; manage pipeline, proposals, BEOs, and post-event follow-up.

· Optimize reservation mix (walk-ins vs. bookings, bar vs. dining room, patio, special menus) to hit nightly covers and RevPASH goals.

· Create and maintain sales collateral, rate cards, seasonal prix fixe and event menus with Culinary/Bar.

Marketing & Brand

· Own the marketing calendar (seasonal campaigns, chef features, cocktail launches, holidays, SF citywide events).

· Manage paid/organic channels: Instagram/TikTok, email/CRM (e.g., SevenRooms), SEO/website updates, and limited paid social/search.

· Lead PR, influencer, and UGC initiatives; coordinate content shoots, brand guidelines, and asset libraries.

· Develop partnerships with nearby hotels, theaters, galleries, and local organizations; design offer structures & track ROI.

Guest Experience & Reputation

· Monitor and respond to reviews (Google, Yelp, OpenTable/Resy) with brand-right tone; escalate insights to Ops.

· Launch guest-lifecycle journeys (first visit, birthday/anniversary, win-back, VIP recognition) and track repeat rate.

· Support on-site activations: tasting events, chef dinners, cocktail classes, and community nights.

Analytics & Ops Collaboration

· Own weekly commercial dashboard: covers, ADR/check average, RevPASH, campaign performance, CAC/ROAS, PDR conversion.

· Forecast demand by daypart; recommend pricing, seating strategies, and staffing implications.

· Steward platforms and budgets (OpenTable/Resy, SevenRooms/CRM, Google Business Profile, Meta/Google ads).

Qualifications

· 4–6+ years in hospitality sales/marketing; fine-dining, upscale casual, or boutique hotel experience preferred.

· Proven track record hitting revenue targets for private dining and events.

· Hands-on with reservation/CRM tools (OpenTable/Resy/SevenRooms), email marketing, Meta/Google Ads, and basic Canva/Adobe.

· Strong copywriting and visual taste; comfortable producing scrappy, on-brand content.

· Data-driven with Excel/Sheets proficiency; able to translate insights into action.

· Excellent relationship-builder and presenter; thrives cross-functionally with Ops, Culinary, and Bar teams.

· CA Food Handler and RBS certifications (or ability to obtain within 30 days).

Nice to have: PR/influencer coordination, basic web/SEO, event production, and familiarity with Toast/Tock.

Success Metrics (first 6–12 months)

· Private dining & events revenue: +25–40% YoY with healthy lead-to-close conversion.

· Reservations & demand: +10–20% growth in qualified covers; improved daypart balance and no-show reduction.

· Marketing efficiency: positive ROAS on paid efforts; email list growth and repeat-guest rate up.

· Reputation: Maintain 4.5★+ across platforms with timely, guest-centric responses.

· Brand: Consistent content cadence and earned mentions with measurable traffic/reservation lift.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary $95,000–$110,000 DOE + performance bonus tied to revenue and marketing KPIs.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: From $110,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 30 – 40 per week

Work Location: In person