Maize Cocina & Cocktails

Private Dining & Events Sales Coordinator

Maize Cocina & Cocktails | Westfield, NJ
Part-Time | Hourly + Commission

About the Role

Maize Cocina & Cocktails is looking for a dynamic, organized and sales-minded Private Dining & Events Sales Coordinator to grow our private dining, catering and events business.

This is a hybrid sales + event coordination + business development position. You'll manage incoming private dining and catering inquiries from first contact through booking and event planning—but we're also looking for someone who will actively go out and create new business.

Beyond private events, Maize hosts our own parties, DJ nights, collaborations and special activations in partnership with outside event promoters. You'll serve as the internal liaison between our promoters, marketing partners and restaurant team, helping ensure those events are well promoted, well attended and seamlessly executed.

If you're someone who loves hospitality, enjoys connecting with people and naturally sees opportunities to bring people together, we'd love to meet you.

What You'll Do

Private Dining & Catering Sales

• Respond to incoming private dining, catering and event inquiries
• Conduct restaurant tours and client meetings
• Create proposals, packages and contracts
• Follow up consistently with prospective clients and close sales
• Coordinate deposits, final counts, menus, timelines and event details
• Maintain the private event calendar and sales pipeline
• Prepare event sheets/BEOs for the restaurant team
• Serve as the client's primary contact throughout the planning process
• Follow up after events to generate repeat and referral business

Outbound Sales & Business Development

• Actively prospect for new private dining and catering business
• Develop relationships with local companies, offices, hotels, event planners, community organizations and other potential partners
• Generate corporate dinners, business events, rehearsal dinners, showers, birthdays, holiday parties and other group business
• Build repeat corporate and social-event accounts
• Reconnect with previous event clients
• Identify opportunities to sell traditionally slower days and times
• Maintain and grow an active sales pipeline
• Track inquiries, conversions, booked revenue and future opportunities

Maize Events & Activations

• Serve as the primary Maize liaison with our outside event promotion partners
• Help coordinate Maize-hosted parties, DJ nights, holiday events, collaborations and other special programming
• Maintain the internal event and activation calendar
• Coordinate logistics between promoters, ownership, restaurant management, culinary and bar teams
• Work with our marketing/social media partners to ensure events are promoted accurately and on schedule
• Coordinate guest lists, ticketing, reservations, entertainment needs and event timelines when applicable
• Help identify creative partnerships and promotional opportunities that can increase attendance
• Be present for select events as needed
• Assist with post-event recaps and evaluating what worked

We're Looking For Someone Who...

• Has 2+ years of hospitality, event sales, catering, restaurant, hotel or event-planning experience
• Is a natural salesperson and relationship builder
• Is comfortable making outbound calls, sending introductions and developing new business
• Doesn't wait for leads to come in
• Is polished and professional with clients
• Is highly organized and excellent at follow-through
• Can confidently discuss pricing, present options and ask for the sale
• Can manage multiple events and deadlines at once
• Understands that great events require both creativity and operational details
• Works independently but communicates exceptionally well with a team
• Is available for occasional evenings/weekends for tours, networking and key events
• Has familiarity with Westfield, Union County and the surrounding business community—a plus

What Success Looks Like

You'll be successful in this role when you're not only converting incoming inquiries but actively growing Maize's event business—bringing us new corporate accounts, catering opportunities, celebrations and repeat clients while helping our own Maize events become increasingly successful.

We're looking for someone who sees a local business, hotel, event planner or organization and thinks:

"They should be doing their next event at Maize."

Compensation

Part-time | Hourly base + commission

Commission opportunities will reward private dining and catering sales, with additional incentive for new business generated through your own outbound sales efforts.

Schedule will include a combination of flexible administrative/sales hours with occasional on-site availability for tours, client meetings and key events.

About Maize Cocina & Cocktails

Located in Westfield's historic train station, Maize Cocina & Cocktails is a chef-driven modern Mexican restaurant focused on thoughtful food, cocktails, hospitality and memorable guest experiences. We are an active part of the Westfield community and regularly host private celebrations, corporate gatherings, collaborative events and restaurant-wide activations.

If you're entrepreneurial, hospitality-driven and excited by the idea of turning relationships into memorable events and new business, we'd love to hear from you.

To Apply

Please submit your resume along with a brief introduction telling us about your experience in hospitality, events and/or sales and why this position interests you.

Maize Cocina & Cocktails is an award-winning, independently owned, chef-driven restaurant in the heart of Westfield, NJ. Inspired by the diverse regions of Mexico, we combine scratch cooking, seasonal ingredients, and genuine hospitality to create memorable guest experiences. We believe in promoting from within, investing in our people, and building long-term culinary careers in a collaborative, respectful, and growth-focused kitchen.