Job Description

Position Title: PR & MARKETING MANAGER - CHICAGO, IL

Salary: $90000K - $115000K / yr

Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

This position is eligible for an Employee Referral Bonus! If you know someone that is qualified for this role, please use the ‘job search’ in PeopleHub to refer your referral and email them a link to apply. Your referral will be able to apply by clicking the link in the email. You can check the status through your profile, accessible via Careers in PeopleHub, by clicking on ‘referral tracking.’ For Employee Referral guidelines, FAQs and the Compass Employee Referral Policy, email MyReferral@compass-usa.com.

Job Summary

Bon Appétit Management Company (www.bamco.com) is seeking a creative, strategic, and highly collaborative onsite PR & Marketing Manager to lead brand activation, communications, and marketing efforts for one of our premier public-facing cultural restaurants located within a world-class cultural institution in Chicago. This role is responsible for building awareness, increasing visitation, driving restaurant traffic, and creating memorable guest experiences through storytelling, events, community partnerships, media relations, and digital marketing. You’ll work with talented operations and culinary teams to create compelling guest experiences, inspire participation, tell stories via social media, and pitch to regional and national food media.

If you're the go-to person in your friend group for restaurant recommendations, devour food media, and thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, this could be your dream job. We're looking for someone with 3–5 years of experience in restaurant, hospitality, or food marketing and/or public relations, exceptional writing and multitasking skills, and a strong eye for design and branding. The ideal candidate is deeply connected to Chicago, with a strong understanding of the city's restaurant scene, neighborhoods, cultural institutions, hospitality community, and the people shaping what's happening across the city. A strong network of Chicago and national food, lifestyle, and media contacts is highly desirable. Proven success working independently while collaborating with clients, community partners, and a wide range of stakeholders is essential.

This individual will develop and implement the marketing plan and budget for each fiscal year with the goal of increasing and retaining existing market share. They will work with sector partners to ensure the implementation of a quality program meeting and exceeding corporate standards.

Key Responsibilities

Brand Strategy, Marketing & Guest Experience

• Partner with national and regional leadership, operations, and clients to develop and execute the marketing and communications strategy for one of Bon Appétit's premier public-facing restaurant destinations.
• Build brand awareness and drive visitation through integrated marketing campaigns, seasonal promotions, signature events, and strategic partnerships such as nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, tourism, festivals, hospitality etc.
• Develop and execute an annual marketing calendar that aligns with business goals, culinary programming, and community engagement opportunities.
• Develop signature programming and guest experiences that drive visitation and position the restaurant as a destination within Chicago's culinary and cultural landscape.
• Partner with chefs, operators, clients, and the Image + Style design team to bring marketing initiatives to life. Leverage established brand standards, templates, and creative toolkits to execute day-to-day marketing collateral, and develop clear creative briefs and project objectives when new assets or original design work are needed.
• Oversee website content, digital marketing assets, email communications, and promotional copy to ensure timely, engaging, and brand-aligned messaging.
• Lead photography and video shoots, managing creative direction and building a library of high-quality marketing assets for ongoing use.
• Manage the annual marketing budget, prioritizing investments that maximize guest engagement, media exposure, and return on investment.
• Measure campaign performance using website analytics, social media insights, reservation trends, guest feedback, and other key performance indicators to continually optimize marketing efforts.
• Identify emerging hospitality, culinary, and cultural trends and recommend innovative marketing initiatives that enhance the guest experience.

Public relations and social media management

• Develop and execute a comprehensive public relations strategy that generates earned media, increases visibility, and supports business growth.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Chicago food, lifestyle, travel, arts, and hospitality media, influencers, and community partners.
• Serve as the primary on-site liaison for media visits, interviews, photography, and press opportunities in coordination with Bon Appetit's communications team and third-party agencies.
• Write and edit press releases, media alerts, chef biographies, fact sheets, website copy, and other communications materials in partnership with the Communications and Client team.
• Develop and manage social media strategy, content calendars, and campaign execution in collaboration with Corporate Communications, ensuring channels remain engaging, relevant, and aligned with brand standards.
• Monitor and optimize online reputation across platforms including Google, Yelp, OpenTable, and other review sites, partnering with operations to respond thoughtfully to guest feedback.
• Develop strategic partnerships with local organizations, cultural institutions, community groups, and hospitality partners that expand awareness and strengthen community connections.
• Support special events, restaurant openings, chef collaborations, media previews, and community programming from concept through execution.
• Collaborate with Bon Appétit's as well as Client Communications team on regional and national storytelling opportunities that elevate the restaurant and the client’s brand.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Hospitality, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 3–5 years of experience in restaurant, hospitality, food, destination, tourism, or cultural institution marketing and/or public relations. Agency experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated success developing integrated marketing campaigns that increase guest engagement, visitation, and revenue.
• Strong understanding of Chicago's restaurant, hospitality, arts, cultural, and media landscape. Existing relationships within these communities are highly desirable.
• A natural connector who enjoys building authentic relationships throughout Chicago's culinary, hospitality, arts, nonprofit, and civic communities.
• Experience planning and promoting public events, culinary experiences, community partnerships, or destination programming.
• Demonstrated success navigating complex stakeholder environments with professionalism, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, and presentation skills with the ability to tailor messaging for diverse audiences.
• Strong eye for branding, design, photography, and visual storytelling, with experience working within established brand standards, templates, and creative systems. Ability to identify when projects require collaboration with corporate design for new asset creation.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing social media strategies across multiple platforms, including Meta Business Suite, Instagram, Facebook, and emerging channels.
• Experience managing digital marketing assets, Google Business Profiles, Yelp, OpenTable, website content, and online reputation management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint), Canva, Hootsuite, and Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat).
• Strong analytical skills with experience using campaign metrics and reporting to measure success and guide future marketing efforts.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and work effectively with clients, community partners, media, executive leadership, and operations teams.
• Experience working in highly visible public-facing organizations, cultural institutions, museums, foundations, or other mission-driven environments is highly desirable.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, creative, and comfortable working both independently and as part of a cross-functional team.

Apply to Bon Appetit today!

Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.

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Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_BAMCO.pdf

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Bon Appetit maintains a drug-free workplace.

Req ID: 1583634

Bon Appetit

Kendra Walcott-Dasent