OPENING SOON – La Mar Cocina Peruana by acclaimed Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, is bringing its authentic Peruvian cuisine to downtown Bellevue, Washington.
Created by acclaimed Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, La Mar is a celebration of the traditional Peruvian cebichería, set within a casual yet upscale atmosphere designed to take its diners on a delicious exploration of the flavors of Peru.
La Mar focuses on delivering fresh seafood direct from the sea that exemplifies authentic Peruvian flavors. The La Mar menu consists of classic Peruvian dishes such as cebiches (citrus-based marinated raw fish), tiraditos (thinly sliced seafood), and causas (potato-based dishes). It also features grilled anticuchos, which are skewers of marinated meat meant to pay homage to Peruvian street food. La Mar’s menus always feature fresh, local ingredients and incorporate a wide variety of seafood that the country of Peru traditionally offers.
La Mar is committed to the environment. We promote sustainable seafood and actively work towards sourcing locally from fisherman and farmers. We are constantly striving towards a global sustainable business model and pride ourselves on working with the best ingredients the oceans offer exhibiting flavorful preparations of whole fish from around the world, served directly at the table.
With 8 locations across the globe in such places as Lima, San Francisco, Miami, Dubai and Doha, La Mar showcases Peru’s rich culinary heritage and the country’s emerging gastronomy on the world stage.
Position Summary:
The Sommelier is responsible for:
- Overseeing the wine program, curating and directing the wine menu, maintaining wine inventory, and developing effective selling strategies.
- Educating & motivating staff in all aspects of the wine program, including tasting, suggestive selling, wine production, wines by the glass, and wines by the bottle
- Driving revenue, controlling costs, and upholding the service standards of the restaurant.
- Assisting the Management Team in operating the restaurant and managing the floor.
- Respond immediately and effectively to guest and employee needs and feedback.
- Upholding a culture of passionate service, accountability, entrepreneurial spirit, fair & equitable leadership, and development.
- Inspire and lead staff and management by example.
Specific Duties: duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Menu Curation & Strategic Development
- Create, curate, and maintain the restaurant wine list with selections appropriate to the concept and locale of the restaurant or bar.
- Maintain relevance in the restaurant or bar’s competitive set, and drive revenue and PR opportunities through unique and interesting wine offerings, specials, presentations, wine dinner, and partnerships.
- Maintain all wine displays in a neat and organized fashion, keeping bottles clean and labels facing out, and managing inventory so that out-of-stock issues are limited.
- Maintain inventory, organization, cleanliness, and functionality of wine glasses and wine-related tools, including decanters, preservers, and extractors.
- Develop and maintain relationships with distributors and suppliers to stay abreast of new products and discounts.
- Maintain awareness of the hospitality industry and current market trends.
- Produce an annual strategic document detailing the next year’s strategy for increasing sales, check average, guest satisfaction, staff retention, menu development, cost control, and wine-specific marketing efforts.
2. Staff Training
- Implement and uphold consistent wine service based on Acurio International standards.
- Develop and distribute wine descriptions, tech sheets, and suggestive selling tools, using Acurio International templates.
- Hold staff wide trainings in conjunction with new wine additions, providing background information and tasting notes.
- Conduct regular bar and service staff trainings to promote wine sales, increase wine knowledge, improve wine service and increase guest satisfaction.
- Attend daily shift meetings and provide education and ongoing motivation for effective salesmanship.
3. Wine Ordering, Inventory, and Cost Control
- Develop pars, place weekly wine orders, receive orders and rotate into inventory, and maintain stock organization.
- Maintain budgeted cost targets.
- Establish familiarity with such cost control tools as Excel, Craftable, and others.
- Maintain a tight physical inventory, depleting dead stock where necessary to improve cashflow.
- Maintain cleanliness and organization of wine storage areas.
4. Hiring and Staff Oversight
- Provide staff oversight by appropriately addressing, documenting, and disciplining staff members as necessary.
- Promote teamwork amongst service team.
- Maintain a positive working environment.
- Uphold a culture of passionate service, accountability, entrepreneurial spirit, fair & equitable leadership, and development.
- Lead by example.
- Develop and mentor staff by providing in-depth and hands-on coaching as needed.
- Maintain communication with service staff through Sling.
5. Administrative Duties
- Update and maintain POS and Inventory software with pricing, recipes, buttons, availability.
- Responsible for accurate stocktaking, order placing, order receival, invoice coding, and new vendor setup.
- Maintain all safety & health standards.
- Maintain effective, timely, and professional email communication.
- Manage floor when needed to provide coverage for other managers
An ideal candidate will have:
- A passion for hospitality as well as possessing a strong work ethic.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to problem solve.
- Experience with seasonally changing regional cuisine.
- Professional Experience: Candidates must have a minimum of 2 years of professional experience as a sommelier or in a similar wine-focused role within the hospitality industry. This experience should demonstrate proficiency in wine selection, pairing, and service.
- Certification: Applicants are required to hold a recognized sommelier certification, such as from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), or a similar accredited institution. This ensures the candidate has undergone formal training and adheres to industry standards.
- Wine Knowledge: Candidates must possess comprehensive knowledge of wine regions, varietals, production methods, and tasting techniques. A background in wine education, demonstrated through previous roles, coursework, or wine-related events, is essential to provide exceptional service and enhance the guest experience.
Equal Opportunity Statement:
La Mar is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions at La Mar are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Experience level:
Physical setting:
- Bar
- Fine dining restaurant
Schedule:
- 10 hour shift
- Day shift
- Evening shift
- Every weekend
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
- Morning shift
- Weekends as needed
Ability to Commute:
Ability to Relocate:
- Bellevue, WA: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person