Fractional Food & Beverage Director · Western Cape

Five-star F&B leadership, on your terms.

Twenty-five years directing multi-outlet hospitality operations across South Africa and Ireland — from intimate fine-dining rooms to 500-cover events. Executive-level expertise, without the full-time commitment.

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For over two decades, Kobus has carried full operational accountability for some of the most awarded hospitality properties in South Africa and Ireland.

He now offers that same leadership on a fractional basis — embedding with hotels, resorts, restaurant groups and owners who need senior F&B direction without adding a permanent executive to payroll.

Whether you're opening a new venue, turning around an underperforming outlet, or want ongoing strategic oversight a few days a month, Kobus brings the financial discipline, service standards and operational instinct that only come from running it at the highest level.

Engaged for
  • New venue openings & concept development
  • Outlet turnarounds & repositioning
  • Ongoing fractional F&B direction
  • Beverage programmes & list curation
  • Service quality & profitability audits
  • Events & banqueting at scale
0
Years in five-star hospitality
+
Team led across outlets
+
Wine bins curated
pax
Events & banqueting

Services

Three ways to bring senior F&B leadership into your business.

Scaled to the moment you're in — from a standing seat at the table to a single, focused project.

01

Fractional Direction

Ongoing strategic and operational leadership for a set number of days each month — covering team structure, service standards, menu and beverage strategy, supplier relationships, and P&L performance across your outlets.

02

Projects & Openings

End-to-end support for new venue launches, concept development and outlet repositioning — from operational design and team build to beverage programmes, pricing architecture and opening execution.

03

Advisory & Audits

A focused expert eye where you need it most — beverage cost and sales-mix analysis, labour optimisation, service quality audits, wine and cocktail list development, and profitability turnarounds.

Areas of expertise

Depth across every corner of the operation.

01
Multi-outlet operationsDirecting teams of 350+ across premium and high-volume venues at a five-star standard.
02
Food & beverage strategyFine dining, all-day casual, bars, events and catering under one coherent vision.
03
Beverage programmesWine lists of 450+ bins, cocktail innovation, and award-level whiskey curation.
04
Financial managementSales mix, pricing strategy, beverage and labour cost — the numbers behind the service.
05
Events & banquetingHigh-profile functions and conferences for up to 500 guests.
06
Hotel & resort F&BFull property operations across hotels, lodges and golf resorts.
07
Guest experienceDesigning and holding service standards that guests remember and return for.
08
Team leadershipBuilding, training and developing teams that run the operation without being run by it.

Great food and beverage is never just about the plate. It's timing, energy, and the moments people remember.

The standard Kobus builds toward

Track record

A career built at the highest level.

Select each role to explore the detail.

Director of Food & Beverage
Fancourt · 2023 – Present
George, Western Cape
+
South Africa's award-winning five-star golf resort, set across 613 hectares on the Garden Route, with two five-star hotels and a multiple-award-winning reputation spanning Best Golf Resort and Best Hotel.
  • Leads a team of 350+ across premium restaurants, busy bars, corporate conferencing, outdoor events and live shows
  • Outlets include Henry White's (50 seats), La Cantina (300 breakfast / 150 dinner), Shinju Japanese, Monet's all-day dining, Club & Members lounges and poolside kitchens
  • Caters to FIT, corporate, events and families — halfway houses serving up to 300 meals a day
General Manager
Mesh Club & Mix Bar · 2018 – 2022
Johannesburg
+
A premium members' club, workspace and event venue for business owners, directors and creatives, paired with Mix Bar — a cocktail bar built on service, creativity and innovation.
  • Full operational leadership of club, meeting and event spaces
  • Delivered a remarkable guest experience through service quality and a creative drinks programme
General Manager, Restaurants & Bars
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts · 2015 – 2017
The Westcliff, Johannesburg
+
Led signature and high-volume dining for one of the world's leading luxury hotel brands.
  • View Restaurant — 104 seats, champagne and martini bar, terrace seating over Johannesburg's treetops
  • Flames — 234-seat premium casual dining, a buzzy grill-led operation famous for weekend brunch
  • Artisan wines, premium cocktails and some of the best produce in South Africa
General Manager
The Exchequer Wine Bar · 2014 – 2015
Ranelagh, Dublin
+
A wine-led restaurant focused on excellent service, great wines, classic cocktails and Irish craft beer — relaxed, attentive, and warm.
  • 100+ wines, 30–40 by the glass, most available by the half bottle via Coravin preservation
  • Hosted wine events, tastings, cocktail classes and private functions in the terrace bar
Food & Beverage Manager
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts · 2003 – 2014
Dublin
+
Eleven years across the bars, lounge and restaurant, including banqueting for up to 500 guests.
  • Responsible for all hotel beverage management — wine lists of 450 bins and full cocktail programmes
  • Built the largest whiskey collection in Ireland at the time: 150+ labels, over 100 of them Irish
  • Strong financial focus on sales mix, pricing strategy, beverage cost and labour cost
Bar & Lounge Manager
Sheen Falls Lodge · 2001 – 2003
County Kerry, Ireland
+
A multi-award-winning, picturesque country lodge where a career in five-star hospitality took root.

About Kobus

An operator who reads a room — and a balance sheet.

Kobus van Zyl has spent his career at the sharp end of five-star hospitality, from a picturesque country lodge in County Kerry to award-winning resorts on South Africa's Garden Route.

What started in beverage — wine, whiskey, cocktails — grew into full operational command of multi-outlet properties and teams in the hundreds.

He pairs genuine financial and business acumen with a relentless focus on quality and service — the combination that lets him walk into any operation, read it quickly, and make the decisions that move it forward.

Get in touch

Let's talk about your operation.

Tell me a little about your business and what you're working toward. I'll come back to you to arrange an initial conversation.

Based inWestern Cape, South Africa
Available forEngagements across South Africa
Emailhello@kobusvanzyl.co.za

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