[PLACEHOLDER · Name]
Then · [PLACEHOLDER]
[PLACEHOLDER · 2 sentences — what Brian saw, what they ran, the instinct that made them stand out.]
[PLACEHOLDER · where they are now]
Complex Beverage Director / General Manager · San Francisco · Feb 2024 – Jan 2025
Cityscape, Hilton SF
[PLACEHOLDER: 1-sentence thesis for Cityscape, Hilton SF — what the room was, what it asked of the program, what Brian ran.]
01 · The role
Complex Beverage Director across the Hilton and Parc 55.
The most recent operator tenure — complex-wide beverage direction and general management across the Hilton and Parc 55 Union Square hotels, anchored by the $5 million renovation and relaunch of Cityscape, San Francisco's tallest bar.
San Francisco, February 2024 – January 2025. Complex Beverage Director and General Manager across the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 Union Square — a multi-hotel complex with $10 million in beverage programs across five outlets under one operating seat.
The anchor engagement was Cityscape: the 46th-floor rooftop bar at the top of the Hilton tower, the tallest bar in San Francisco. A $5 million renovation and relaunch from the ground up — new program, new service floor, new team built against a premium guest mix of hotel traffic, event overflow, and neighborhood dwell time.
Revised purchasing and inventory discipline cut waste by 15% across the portfolio. Cocktails and wines on draft added to every outlet. Bar revenue up 25% overall on the new program. The relaunch earned local-publication recognition on open.
The operating seat ran a team of 120 Union-represented employees. Training programs rebuilt from scratch, service standards standardized across the five outlets, F&B package design coordinated with culinary, events, and sales. Supply contracts and house deals negotiated across the full portfolio. Cityscape reopened September 2024; engagement concluded January 2025.
02 · The work
Five outlets, rebuilt end to end.
The Complex role touched every beverage program in the two-hotel portfolio. The Cityscape renovation was the headline; the complex-wide rebuild ran underneath it.
01
Cityscape rooftop relaunch
Full program build from spec to service, reopened September 2024.
San Francisco's tallest bar.
02
Portfolio beverage rebuild
Purchasing, inventory, service standards, training — standardized across the complex.
15% waste reduction, 25% bar revenue growth.
03
Draft systems
Draft cocktails and wines installed across every outlet, replacing slow-moving bottled programs.
Margin lift and service speed both.
04
Union team operations
Training programs rebuilt, service standards floor-by-floor, F&B package design coordinated with culinary / events / sales.
Ran within Union labor structures throughout.
03 · The room
IMG · 4:5Bar, service · [placeholder]
IMG · 4:3Menu detail · [placeholder]
IMG · 4:5Room, late night · [placeholder]
04 · The team
The bartenders Brian hired.
Who ran the stick. Most are still in the industry.
[PLACEHOLDER · Name]
Then · [PLACEHOLDER]
[PLACEHOLDER · 2 sentences — what they brought, the moves they ran, why their palate mattered.]
[PLACEHOLDER · where they are now]
03 · Recognition
Local publications on the reopen.
The relaunch earned press across San Francisco's hospitality and lifestyle outlets.
The discovery of the celestial sisters prompted Cityscape General Manager, Brian Howard to reimagine the cocktail menu and culinary offerings available.Read the piece
Of all the sky-scraping spots to get a drink, none can match its elevation 46 floors above Taylor and Eddy streets, or lack of visual obstructions.Read the piece
Hilton San Francisco Union Square just reopened its 46th-floor bar.Read the piece
We haven't been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists.Read the piece
Cityscape General Manager Brian Howard reimagined the cocktail menu and culinary offerings around the discovery of the celestial sisters artwork.Read the piece
04 · Active
Still operating.
Cityscape continues at the top of the Hilton tower. The programs installed during the relaunch are the programs running today.
A note from Brian
Five outlets, one operating seat, and a rooftop that reopened as the highest bar in San Francisco. The scope is the credential.
Brian Howard
Owner & Founder, Liquid Chef Consulting