As an entrepreneurial-minded hospitality professional with 28 years of operational leadership I am looking to add my expertise to a new and exciting career opportunity. With success in starting, building, growing and improving the profitability and performance of companies, I am an experienced leader and planner that has demonstrated success in streamlining business operations including budgets, financial controls, staff development and business culture. A classically trained culinarian, I have completed over 30 restaurants openings in multiple states, making me a results driven problem solver.
Core Qualifications
- Leadership & Team Building
- Business Planning & Analytics
- Brand Culture Development
- Leadership Development
- Menu Development
- Market analytics & Trends
- Strategy & Revenue Growth
- System Implementation
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2019 - Present Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux College Station, TX
Operating Partner Walagator LLc. (DBA Walk-On’s)
Annual Sales Volume: $6 Million
- Responsible for development of franchise operations, strategy and direction
- Daily operational management of 160+ employees
- Development and implementation of store controls including labor, COGS, P&L’s, budgets, forecasting and scheduling
- Collaboratively working with corporate marketing team to ensure operational alignment with brand marketing and create new plans for community marketing
- Create, build and implement marketing strategy designed to drive community involvement
- Negotiate contracts with local vendors to provide goods and services
- Develop strategic plans to help guide leadership team to meet company financial commitments
- Collaboration and design of new restaurants in company growth including budgeting, building, and operations
- Create and build company culture through mentoring management as well as hourly positions
- Develop HR guidelines for leaders and staff to help make decisions concerning all disciplinary actions within franchise
- Build and maintain training pipeline for new leadership candidates for openings and existing restaurant
- Analyze financial data and market trends to identify business opportunities and create positive fiscal growth
- Awarded “Walk-Ons Culture Award” for 2021 for the entire Walk-Ons Corporation
2017- 2019 Compass Group-Chartwells HE College Station, TX
Director of Operations- Texas A&M University
Annual Sales Volume: $150 Million
- Responsible for 8 units including National brand, new in house concepts and dining facilities
- Daily operational management of 200+ employees
- Store controls including labor, weekly inventory and COGS, P&L’s, budgets, forecasting and scheduling
- Worked with corporate marketing team to ensures operational alignment with University and create new plans for “In House” concepts
- Analyze financial data to improve business performance
- Guided management team to drive labor and meet budgetary commitments
- Collaboration and design of new concepts on campus including budgeting, menu, and operation
- Maintained and built culture in each concept through mentoring management as well as hourly
- Analyze financial data over multiple concepts to identify business opportunities and create positive fiscal growth
- Supported other departments such as catering for formal functions that ranged from 600-2500 guests
2014- 2017 Chuy’s Tex Mex Restaurant Various Virginia Locations
General Manager
Annual Sales Volume: $6 Million
- Responsible for the daily operational management of 125+ employees
- Store controls, labor, COGS, P&L’s, budgets, forecasting and scheduling
- Responsible for fostering a team-oriented environment through development and culture-based inspiration
- Ability to plan, communicate and execute operational plans over multiple departments
- Developed a regional newsletter that promoted community within the company as well as marketing initiatives and culture development
- Creation and implementation of short and long-term sales building plans for all departments
- Mentoring and developing managers into promotable roles
- Coaching and developing hourly employees into leadership roles with clear feedback, recognition and reviews
- Establishment of yearly budget and monthly projections that drove top line sales performance
- Maintained corporate standards such as restaurant safety, cleanliness, food and labor costs
- Marketing and Community relations development
- Awarded 2016 “Con Ganas” culture award over all locations
2009 – 2014 Cracker Barrel Restaurant Various Virginia Locations
General Manager
Annual Sales Volume: $7 Million
- Hired in as Associate Manager and then promoted to General Manager in 6 months
- Responsible for the daily operational management of 120+ employees
- Store controls, labor, COGS, P&L’s and scheduling
- Year over year sales growth of 5%
- Established monthly projections matching against budget
food cost to .8% and labor cost to .15%
- Hired and trained 20+ managers, 5 went on to manage their own stores
- Role model store with less than 55% turnover rate
- Responsible for management training program in Northern Virginia
- Worked with in house retail store with sales volume exceeding $1.3 million
2007 - 2009 JM Hopkins Corporation Houston, TX
CEO/ Founder
Annual Sales Volume: $3.5 Million
- Owner of new restaurant venture in Houston, TX
- Developed and implemented operational material for new Restaurant Venture
- Created and set KPI metrics for new restaurant brand and managers
- Created budgets to meet sales growth plans
- Motivated, lead, coach and developed successful partnerships with management and my team
- Increased sales growth 200% in first 14 months through rebranding, strategic local marketing and menu development
- Sourced new vendor for venture through strong associate network
- Reduced and maintained labor costs to 13.5% through retraining and cross training staff as well as expert scheduling
- Responsible for overall brand standards, marketing and business vision
- Reduced and maintained food costs to 27% and liquor cost to 17.9% by managing purchasing, COGS, inventory controls and waste reduction
Prior Tenures Included:
Cova Hand Selected Wines – Houston, TX
Director of Operations
Randy Gerber’s The Whisky Bar – Houston, TX
Bar Manager
