Tristan Pugh

15+ Years Hospitality Leadership; $3m Annual Revenue Managed; 250 Seat Venue; 60 Franchised Venues Supported; 430+ Hospitality Professionals Trained; 100+ Workshops Delivered; 20–30 Leaders Developed; Labour 20% → 15–17%; Beverage COGS 28% → 22%.

Venue Manager at Ciao Cielo (2022-07 – Present)

Lead operations for a premium 250-seat Italian restaurant generating approximately $3M annual revenue, overseeing commercial performance, people leadership and continuous operational improvement.

• Redesigned rostering practices using sales forecasting, shift redesign and tighter labour management, reducing front-of-house labour from over 20% to approximately 15–17% while maintaining service standards during peak trading periods.
• Developed the venue's first structured beverage costing methodology, introducing recipe costing, pricing frameworks and commercial decision-making that reduced beverage COGS from approximately 28% to 22%.
• Designed and implemented the venue's first integrated operational reporting framework, consolidating sales, labour, cover counts and comparative trading data into automated reports that improved operational visibility and informed day-to-day decision-making.
• Introduced structured SOPs, onboarding documentation, communication processes and POS improvements that increased operational consistency and reduced reliance on informal knowledge.
• Redesigned the wine programme using menu engineering principles to improve guest navigation, strengthen staff confidence, increase exposure of higher-margin products and reduce spoilage through better utilisation of existing inventory.
• Collaborated on the development of seasonal cocktail menus, combining recipe design, costing and pricing strategies to improve beverage profitability while delivering premium guest experiences.
• Built a stable, high-performing front-of-house team through structured recruitment, onboarding, coaching and performance management, strengthening accountability, capability and employee engagement.
• Partnered closely with ownership to introduce greater operational structure and commercial discipline, helping create a more stable, sustainable and professionally managed venue.
• Lead operational delivery of 2–6 weddings and private events each week, coordinating staffing, service execution and cross-functional communication for events of up to 120 guests.

Assistant Venue Manager at Ciao Cielo (2021-02 – 2022-07)

Joined during one of Melbourne hospitality's busiest post-lockdown trading periods, helping stabilise operations, improve workplace culture and introduce greater operational structure.

• Improved onboarding and staff development processes.
• Introduced greater operational consistency through documentation and structured procedures.
• Assisted recruitment and leadership development across front-of-house teams.
• Contributed to menu development, beverage strategy and supplier management.
• Helped build a more stable, collaborative and engaged workplace culture.

Owner/Operator at Wishbone Cafe (2020-10 – 2021-10)

Co-owned and operated an independent café throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, leading all aspects of business operations including financial management, recruitment, supplier relationships and customer experience. Maintained business sustainability through disciplined cost management, operational agility and a strong focus on customer loyalty during prolonged trading restrictions.

• Maintained the financial sustainability of the business throughout 6–7 Melbourne lockdowns by closely managing labour, purchasing and cashflow, ensuring employees and suppliers continued to be paid despite significant reductions in revenue.
• Applied disciplined financial management across labour, inventory and supplier purchasing, maintaining positive cashflow while weekly revenue reduced to approximately $6,000–8,000.
• Continually adapted operating procedures, staffing and purchasing decisions in response to changing government restrictions, enabling the business to continue trading throughout prolonged periods of uncertainty.
• Introduced customer retention initiatives, including loyalty programs and value-focused meal offers, encouraging repeat visitation and supporting revenue stability during extended lockdowns.
• Led recruitment, rostering and day-to-day team leadership, maintaining staff engagement and operational consistency during an exceptionally challenging trading environment.
• Developed a practical understanding of sustainable business ownership, strengthening commercial decision-making through disciplined financial management, operational agility and long-term strategic thinking.

Operational Excellence & Training Coach - VIC, TAS, SA & NT at The Coffee Club Australia (2019-12 – 2020-10)

Provided operational leadership and business improvement support across a franchise network of up to 60 cafés, partnering with franchisees and managers to improve commercial performance, operational standards and leadership capability.

• Delivered approximately 60–70 workshops to an estimated 260–300 participants, covering coffee capability, customer service, communication, leadership and operational standards.
• Supported the development of approximately 15–22 managers, emerging leaders and franchisees, including delivery of the newly introduced leadership training programme.
• Conducted 10–15 operational and compliance audits per month, identifying gaps across service, coffee quality, food preparation, store presentation and brand standards.
• Supported approximately 4–6 store handovers or management transitions, helping new operators and leadership teams establish clearer expectations, stronger capability and more consistent operating practices.
• Improved performance at a recently transferred café by coaching inexperienced owners and team members in coffee preparation, customer service, kitchen standards and store presentation, contributing to improved speed of service, average transaction value and customer experience.
• Assisted with the opening of a new café, providing practical training and operational support before and during commencement of trade.
• Partnered with franchisees to develop local-area marketing initiatives supporting sales growth and store sustainability.
• Built commercial cases for operational improvement, demonstrating how stronger employee capability could improve quality, increase service capacity and generate revenue without increasing labour expenditure.
• Provided operational support to metropolitan and regional cafés through extensive in-field coaching and online workshops, ensuring consistent implementation of head office standards across a geographically dispersed network during periods of significant organisational change
• Strengthened engagement among store teams and franchisees by combining operational accountability with visible, practical and supportive coaching.

Operations Trainer - NSW/ACT at The Coffee Club Australia (2019-01 – 2019-12)

Delivered structured operational and leadership training to café employees, shift leaders, store managers and franchisees across NSW and the ACT, supporting consistent implementation of national standards and operational changes.

• Delivered 40+ workshops to 150+ hospitality professionals across covering espresso preparation, coffee quality, customer service and core café operations.
• Supported the transition of multiple franchised cafés into head office-operated businesses, ensuring continuity of operations and brand standards.
• Rolled out the Shift Leader and Store Leader development programmes, preparing emerging leaders for supervisory and management roles.
• Trained new franchisees, managers and store teams through hands-on coaching and tailored learning plans.
• Partnered with regional stakeholders to implement national menu launches, operational updates and training initiatives.
• Travelled extensively throughout NSW and the ACT, providing in-store coaching and operational support across metropolitan and regional locations.

Store Manager at Schnitz (2016-07 – 2019-01)

Led the commercial and operational performance of a high-volume quick service restaurant, overseeing team development, financial performance and day-to-day operations. Built a commercially accountable leadership team by embedding operational discipline, developing future supervisors and improving labour, food cost and sales performance through practical coaching and continuous improvement.

• Improved labour efficiency through more accurate forecasting, proactive rostering and stronger shift management while maintaining service standards.
• Reduced food cost below the revised 32.5% target through tighter portion control, improved stock management and greater team accountability for wastage.
• Increased sales by redesigning lunch operations to encourage stronger customer engagement, faster service and more effective upselling.
• Built a commercially capable leadership team by coaching supervisors to independently manage labour, stocktakes, rostering and cost control, increasing operational accountability throughout the business.
• Recruited and developed approximately 20 team members, maintaining low staff turnover while promoting six supervisors into leadership positions.
• Created a culture where commercial awareness became part of everyday decision-making, empowering team members to understand how operational behaviours influenced business performance.
• Strengthened inventory accuracy and operational consistency through improved stock management practices and clearer accountability across the leadership team.
• Maintained consistent operational standards by combining structured coaching, performance feedback and hands-on leadership during high-volume service periods.

Certificate IV in Human Resource Management, April 2025