In today’s hospitality landscape, beverage directors at multi-unit restaurant and hotel groups hold more influence in the on-trade sector, owing to the sheer scale of these establishments and the need to maintain a certain uniformity across branches. These are not menu stylists or single-venue bar managers. They are centralized buyers, responsible for spirits, wine, and cocktail decisions that roll out across five, ten, or even dozens of bars and restaurants at once. Their choices shape distributor portfolios, define category trends and determine which brands achieve real, sustainable on-trade presence. 

As hospitality groups continue to consolidate purchasing and streamline operations in 2026, brands must understand one truth: winning with one of these buyers often means winning across an entire group. This is where credibility, performance, and bartender-relevant quality matter most.

1. David Samuels

Regional Vice President of Operations, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Bringing a wealth of experience to the role, David Samuels oversees food and beverage strategy at a global scale for Hyatt Hotels Corporation, making him one of the most influential decision-makers in international hospitality. His remit spans luxury, lifestyle, and full-service Hyatt brands, covering spirits standards, cocktail frameworks, wine strategy, and supplier alignment across hundreds of hotel bars and restaurants. Hyatt’s diverse portfolio requires wine and spirits that perform operationally while still allowing local bar teams creative flexibility, placing Samuels at the center of high-stakes, large-volume buying decisions. For wine and spirits brands, a listing aligned with Hyatt’s beverage standards represents immediate credibility and unparalleled on-trade exposure.

2. ​​Gary Gruver

Director of Global Beverage Operations, Marriott International

Carrying over 20 years of experience under his belt, Gary Gruver currently operates at the highest strategic level of beverage leadership, shaping beverage strategy, concept development, and design frameworks for national and global hospitality brands under Marriott International. His role goes beyond menu creation, focusing on how beverage programs are built, standardized, and scaled across large, multi-unit portfolios. What makes Gruver especially influential in 2026 is his work at the intersection of strategy, design, and execution. This places him in direct influence over wine and spirits selection, preferred-supplier conversations, and long-term beverage architecture.

3. Cindy Busi

VP of Beverage & Innovation, Darden Enterprise 

Darden Enterprise encompasses a multitude of well-known names in the restaurant space, including the likes of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House and more. With more than 2100 dining establishments under her expertise, Cindy Busi operates at a senior executive level within this large, multi-unit foodservice and hospitality organization, with responsibility that spans beverage strategy, supplier partnerships, and commercial program execution across complex on-premise environments. Her LinkedIn profile reflects experience well beyond individual venues, positioning her as a group-level influencer and buyer with reach across numerous outlets.

What makes Busi particularly relevant in 2026 is her understanding of how beverage programs must perform not only creatively, but economically, meeting the needs of large organizations where consistency, logistics, and margin discipline are critical. 

4. David Kaplan

Co-Founder – Gin & Luck LLC and Death & Co

David Kaplan, the force behind Gin & Luck LLC and its renowned flagship bar Death and Co., is one of the most influential bar operators in the U.S. While Gin & Luck operates nationally, Kaplan’s buying and strategy decisions are deeply rooted in the New York bar ecosystem, setting trends that ripple across the East Coast on-trade. Having authored Death & Co Cocktail Book and The Cocktail Codex, Kaplan is known for his uncompromising quality standards, bartender-first brand partnerships, and a strong focus on education, making his hospitality chain a benchmark for premium and super-premium wine and spirits placement.

5. Indre Jasaityte

Director of Beverage — BJ's Restaurants, Inc

Indre Jasaityte, recipient of the Innovator Award at the 2025 Vibe Conference, oversees beverage strategy, wine and spirits selection, and program execution across Bj Restaurant’s multi-unit portfolio. What makes Jasaityte particularly influential is her focus on innovation balanced with operational reality. She evaluates spirits not only for flavor and trend relevance, but for how well they perform across different markets, staffing levels, and service formats. 

For wine and spirits brands, buyers like Indre Jasaityte are critical. A successful engagement at this level can result in system-wide placements, national promotional support, and long-term portfolio inclusion. 

6. Steven Minor

Corporate Beverage Director, Starwood Hotels

Steven Minor has spent most of his career navigating the everchanging trend dynamics in cities like NYC, LA, Miami, Chicago and more, responsible for overseeing themed concept spaces in luxurious and fine-dining establishments. He reflects a deep experience in bar strategy, wine and spirits selection, cocktail program development, and operational execution across geographically distributed venues, positioning him as a prominent influencer in beverage buying decisions. He understands how beverage programs must function across different markets, staffing levels, and service models while maintaining a cohesive brand identity. As hospitality groups centralize beverage leadership, buyers like Minor will determine which brands achieve long-term, multi-location growth.

7. Miranda Breedlove

National Bar Director and Consultant, Hyatt Lifestyle Operations

Miranda is BAR Ready having successfully passed the BAR 5 Day Exam in January of 2023, is cicerone certified, and has earned the WSET 2 Wine Certification. She has competed in multiple national competitions  - her favorite of which has been Speed Rack - and has been a member of the prep teams for San Antonio  Cocktail Conference, and Kansas City PoP Fest, and Tales of the Cocktail where she has also been a panelist  on seminars. For wien and spirits brands that earn traction at this level, it often becomes embedded into bar programs at scale, impacting dozens of outlets at once. 

8. Myles Holdsworth

Global Director of Food and Beverage, Marriott Luxury Group

Myles Holdsworth operates a multitude of multi-unit brands including the likes of EDITION, The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, W Hotels, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, and JW Marriott. His career reflects experience across beverage strategy, supplier engagement, and program execution, positioning him as a group-level decision-maker with influence over spirits, wine, and cocktail standards across multiple locations. He evaluates beverage programs not just on creativity, but on how they scale—training requirements, speed of service, margin performance, and supplier reliability—puting him directly at the center of preferred-supplier discussions and portfolio standardization for national concepts.

9. Sarah Jane Curran

Director of Food & Beverage (USA/Canada), Marriott International

Sarah Jane Curran currently streamlines her focus on beverage management and customer experience across Marriott establishments in USA and Canada. What makes Curran especially relevant in 2026 is her ability to bridge brand strategy and beverage execution. She understands how beverage programs must align with marketing, operations, and guest experience while still remaining commercially viable across multiple locations. This gives her direct influence over wine and spirits selection, preferred-supplier conversations, and menu rollouts at scale.

10. Allison Kafalas

Director of Beverage, Americas, Hilton

As Director of Beverage for the Americas, Allison Kafalas shapes beverage strategy across Hilton’s full-service and luxury portfolio, including Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Canopy, Hilton, Embassy Suites, and DoubleTree. Her remit spans program innovation, brand standards, and guest-facing beverage experiences across hundreds of properties. Operating at the intersection of scale and creativity, Kafalas plays a critical role in determining which wine and spirits brands can deliver consistency, operational performance, and relevance across diverse hotel formats—making her a key decision-maker for suppliers targeting large, multi-brand hotel groups.

11. Jerry Hagen

Director of Food & Beverage, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Jerry Hagen brings more than two decades of senior food and beverage leadership to Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, overseeing strategy across one of the world’s most expansive franchised hotel portfolios. With experience spanning major hospitality operators including Marriott and Delaware North, Hagen is accustomed to managing complexity at scale. His role centers on operational frameworks, supplier alignment, and performance-driven programming across a broad range of property types. For wine and spirits brands, Wyndham represents high-volume, multi-market opportunity, and Hagen sits at the center of those purchasing and standardization decisions.

12. Christopher DeRamo

Global Director, Food & Beverage Brand Solutions (Premium Brands), IHG Hotels & Resorts

Christopher DeRamo leads food and beverage brand solutions for IHG’s premium portfolio, operating within one of the world’s largest global hotel companies. Having progressed through senior roles focused on concept development, innovation, and brand implementation, DeRamo is deeply involved in shaping how beverage programs are designed and executed across markets. His work directly influences wine and spirits standards, cocktail frameworks, and supplier strategies across multiple international brands, positioning him as a critical gatekeeper for brands seeking global hotel visibility and long-term alignment.

13. Matt Raftree

Director of Beverages & Bakery Operations, The Cheesecake Factory

Matt Raftree oversees beverage strategy for one of the most operationally sophisticated restaurant groups in the U.S. The Cheesecake Factory’s beverage program is widely recognized for its scale, consistency, and influence on mainstream cocktail culture. Under centralized leadership, beverage decisions are engineered to perform across hundreds of high-volume locations. For wine and spirits brands, alignment with The Cheesecake Factory represents not just reach, but proof of commercial viability in a demanding, performance-led casual dining environment.

14. Nathan Grover

Executive Director of Bar & Beverage, Applebee’s

Nathan Grover leads bar and beverage strategy for Applebee’s, one of the largest casual dining brands globally, with more than 1,500 locations across multiple international markets. His role encompasses supplier selection, menu strategy, and beverage performance across a highly standardized, volume-driven system. Grover’s decisions directly impact nationwide rollouts, making him a pivotal buyer for wine and spirits brands capable of delivering consistency, margin, and consumer familiarity at scale.

15. Diana Caballero

Executive Director, Strategic Sourcing – Food & Beverage, MGM Resorts International

Diana Caballero oversees beverage sourcing and supplier strategy across MGM Resorts International’s expansive resort and casino portfolio. Responsible for large-scale purchasing, category management, and long-term supplier partnerships, her role sits at the intersection of scale, negotiation, and operational alignment. Recognized as a Jim Flaherty Industry Legend Award finalist, Caballero represents one of the most influential sourcing positions in U.S. hospitality, where a single decision can translate into immediate, high-volume national exposure for alcohol brands.

16. Lyndsi Hastings Mundy

Beverage Director, Riot Hospitality Group

Lyndsi Hastings Mundy operates at a group level, directing beverage strategy, purchasing structures, and program execution across Riot Hospitality Group’s multi-venue portfolio. Her approach reflects how modern hospitality groups evaluate wines and spirits: through scalability, training efficiency, margins, and supplier reliability. As centralized buying continues to define 2026, Hastings Mundy represents the type of decision-maker capable of unlocking multiple placements through a single strategic partnership.

17. Cassandra Sakai

Corporate Director of Beverage Operations, Gibsons Restaurant Group

Cassandra Sakai leads beverage operations across Gibsons Restaurant Group’s diverse collection of restaurant and bar concepts. Her responsibilities include portfolio curation, beverage systems, supplier strategy, and operational standards. As a centralized buyer, Sakai exemplifies how beverage decisions are increasingly made once and deployed across multiple venues—making her influence both efficient and far-reaching for suppliers seeking group-wide adoption.

18. Marsha Wright

Corporate Wine Director & Beverage Buyer, DineAmic Hospitality

Marsha Wright oversees wine and beverage strategy for DineAmic Hospitality’s multi-concept portfolio, spanning formats from fine dining to casual restaurants. Her role covers purchasing, pricing, and supplier relationships at a group level. In 2026, Wright’s influence lies in the breadth of her remit: a single buying decision can shape beverage programs across a wide range of concepts, offering wine and spirits brands meaningful scale without sacrificing positioning.

19. Patrick Smith

Senior Beverage Manager, Union Square Hospitality Group

Patrick Smith manages beverage strategy and purchasing across Union Square Hospitality Group’s national restaurant portfolio. Responsible for group-wide standards and supplier alignment, his role carries significant influence within one of the most respected hospitality organizations in the U.S. For wine and spirits brands, approval at this level often translates into multi-market placements and long-term program integration.

20. Kat Hawkins

Wine Director at Miru, Tre Dita, and the St. Regis Bar, St. Regis, Chicago

Kat Hawkins leads wine strategy across Miru, Tre Dita, and The St. Regis Bar at the St. Regis Chicago, overseeing one of the city’s most high-profile luxury hotel beverage programs. Her role spans portfolio curation, cellar strategy, supplier relationships, and guest-facing execution across multiple concepts within a flagship property, where expectations around consistency, depth, and international relevance are exceptionally high. With prior leadership at RPM Steak and Lettuce Entertain You, Hawkins brings both fine-dining rigor and large-organization discipline to her buying decisions.