About Us
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is Colorado’s premier rolling restaurant, offering a breathtaking journey through the spectacular Royal Gorge. Operating up to four times daily, we pair stunning scenery with exceptional service and fresh, locally sourced cuisine—served onboard for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Beyond the train, we own several sister properties, including the Royal Gorge Mansion, Happy Endings Caboose Café, and a soon-to-open bed and breakfast.
If you haven’t visited the Royal Gorge, prepare to be amazed! We’re looking for passionate individuals who want to love their job, work with an incredible team, and be surrounded by Colorado’s natural beauty. Whether you’re interested in retail, ticketing, bartending, serving, maintenance, or management, we offer full-time and part-time opportunities.
As an independent Colorado company, we take pride in flexibility, quality, and service excellence. We invest significant time in training our staff to deliver an unforgettable guest experience.
With a team of nearly 300 dedicated employees, many of whom have been with us for over a decade, we are committed to ensuring that every guest enjoys a spectacular and memorable journey. Our leadership team supports front-line staff—including servers, bartenders, train attendants, customer service agents, and retail employees—to uphold our promise of outstanding hospitality.
As Southern Colorado’s top tourism destination and an operational locomotive train, our job opportunities are diverse, spanning from diesel mechanics and human resources to food and beverage leadership. If you’re ready to be part of something extraordinary, we’d love to have you on board! 🚂✨
Key Responsibilities & Expectations
Driving Culinary Excellence & Leadership
- Spearhead culinary excellence across all menus and departures.
- Lead, inspire, and manage a team of over 100 culinary professionals.
- Oversee back-of-house (BOH) operations in a full-service environment.
- Manage all aspects of restaurant operations, including COGS, food budgets, labor costs, and quality control.
- Cultivate a fine dining culture through exceptional service and attention to detail.
- Maintain a strong daily onboard presence, mentoring and training both BOH and FOH teams, ensuring operational consistency.
- Oversee four onboard kitchens, a commissary kitchen, the Caboose Café, and upcoming restaurant ventures.
- Develop and implement proactive operational systems to enhance efficiency and service quality.
- Foster vendor relationships, emphasizing local and innovative sourcing.
- Lead food and beverage operations across Royal Gorge Route Railroad, Royal Gorge Mansion, Happy Endings Caboose Café, and Royal Gorge Inn B&B.
- Report directly to the Food and Beverage Director and collaborate with company leadership.
- Handle additional responsibilities as assigned by management.
Day-to-Day Responsibilities
Operational Management
- Directly oversee BOH staff, including sous chefs, senior line cooks, kitchen managers, and production cooks.
- Indirectly manage FOH staff, including servers, bartenders, food runners, and guest liaisons.
- Maintain a daily onboard presence to oversee BOH operations.
- Organize daily staff schedules, service flow, and operational challenges, assigning key priorities accordingly.
- Provide detailed operational reports and key metric updates to the Food and Beverage Director.
- Supervise the hiring, training, performance evaluation, and professional development of staff.
- Oversee food purchasing, inventory management, and vendor relations to ensure quality and timely deliveries.
- Collaborate across departments, including reservations, retail, finance, marketing, HR, and train operations.
- Align food and beverage operations with brand values and company objectives.
- Conduct regular staff meetings to ensure alignment and operational excellence.
- Facilitate comprehensive training programs for new and existing staff.
Strategic Food & Culinary Development
- Establish challenging yet achievable goals to drive operational performance.
- Set clear expectations and hold teams accountable for high standards in food quality and service.
- Recommend investments in kitchen equipment and infrastructure to support operational efficiency.
- Collaborate with the Food and Beverage Director to identify challenges and implement strategic improvements.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead with strong interpersonal and communication skills, fostering a culture of integrity and teamwork.
- Build mutual trust and respect within the culinary team and across departments.
- Set and exceed performance, financial, and operational goals.
- Serve as a role model, demonstrating professionalism and high standards.
- Identify opportunities to increase profitability, explore new business initiatives, and drive innovation.
- Ensure consistent and transparent communication between FOH and BOH teams.
- Foster collaborative relationships within the entire food and beverage division.
- Mentor and coach staff, helping them develop their skills and advance professionally.
- Stay updated on market trends and culinary innovations, introducing new menu items to enhance guest experience and maintain competitive advantage.
Delivering Exceptional Guest Experience
- Provide unparalleled customer service to enhance guest satisfaction and retention.
- Implement fine dining training programs to maintain service excellence.
- Analyze guest feedback and satisfaction scores, developing action plans for continuous improvement.
- Empower staff to deliver outstanding hospitality at every touchpoint.
- Maintain a balance between profitability and service excellence, ensuring an optimal guest experience.
This role requires strategic vision, hands-on leadership, and a commitment to excellence, ensuring that the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and its affiliated properties continue to set the standard for culinary excellence and guest experience. 🚂✨