Director of Food & Beverage - Virgin Hotels - New Orleans, LA USA
(2024-05 - 2026-04)
- Controlled all operations of all 4 outlets and in room dinning for a 238 key hotel near the busy French Quarter area of New Orleans with an annual revenue of 6.5 million in F&B
- Over saw operation for 5 event spaces that range for 120 seated space to 20 person meeting spaces
- Created budgets and forecasting for all F&B spaces throughout the hotel and created capex projects
- Had a team of 110 team members that reported to me
- Assisted in development and was final say on all menu items
- Drove hospitality scores to highest levels in the company
- Increased sales thru marketing and grassroot efforts
- Trained team on beverage new techniques to keep up with trends and fads
- Booked and operated multiple large scale events that drove revenue beyond bench marks
- Grew sales in outlets by as much as 44% in a period through campaigns with our marketing team
- Implemented a J1 program and mentor programs to help grow our team with health culture
- #1 Conde Nast Hotel for New Orleans and was top 5 on Tripadvisor since opening
Director of Food and Beverage - Eliza Jane Hotel - New Orleans, LA
(2024-01 - 2024-05)
Eliza Jane Hotel is part of the Makeready group of hotels that is based out of Dallas, TX. It is also part of the Hyatt Unbound Collection. The historic property was the original location of the Time Picayune and Peychauds Bitters Factory. It was steps for the historic French Quarter, Ceasar Place Casino, and Riverwalk Shopping Center and Convention Center.
- Daily operation of 2 F&B outlets that served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night libations and 3 event spaces that had an annual revenue of 5.6 million
- Booked talent for lobby area and worked with marketing and sales team at home office to help drive revenue
- Created and updated budgets weekly and spearheaded revenue meetings with ownership and home office team
- Created training programs and recruited team members
- Sat on the beverage consult that designed corporate beverage and Avendra mandates to get best deals and partnerships
- Created hospitality standard that took the restaurant from a 4.1 OpenTable score to a 4.9 that helped drive new business and revitalize the space
- Successfully executed the hotel's first festival with a huge profit of 180,000 over 2.5 days
- Cut COGs by 25% while exceeding budget
- Adapted new scheduling platform to help with labor cost and budgeting
- Develop a unique beverage program that helps push sales and gain press opportunities
Food and Beverage Director - Pontchartrain Hotel - New Orleans, LA
(2022-08 - 2023-10)
Pontchartrain Hotel is owned by AJ Capitol and run by Aparium on the Hotel and Rooms side and also QED on the Food and Beverage and Event side. The hotel is very historic and storied and a huge piece of local culture. Most famously it is where Tennessee Williams wrote Streetcar Named Desire. The property had 106 rooms, 4 outlets, and an event space that could accommodate up to 150 people.
- Daily operations of all outlets that spanned from a breakfast café to a bar with live music daily, to a restaurant that did 250 covers per night, to a rooftop bar, and event space that create an additional 1.5 million per year. Total F&B revenue was 10 million annually
- Managed a team of 150 employees including a large J1 program
- Recruited team members both local and abroad
- Created budgets for all outlets
- Develop all menus with the team
- Designed experiences that left long standing memories for guests
- Delivered the best day, month, and year in the company's history finically
- Increased all review scores the extremely high levels
- Got nominated for beverage program awards through Tales of the Cocktail
- Exceeded budget by 5% and had a YOY growth of 15%
- Was named best restaurant by New Orleans magazine
- Staff retention was 95% excluding J1 employees
General Manger and Beverage Director - Tchefuncte & Anchor Restaurant - Madisonville, LA
(2021-08 - 2022-08)
Tchefuncte Restaurant is a 140-seat High-end Steak & Seafood Restaurant on the River. It specializes in the best of the best ingredients and a wine impressive wine and spirit list. Anchor is the second concept at street level that serves more casual fare. It has a playground and boat dock with a family-friendly atmosphere with live music daily and an open-air feel with 250 seats. Annual revenue of 5 million
- Oversaw operation of both outlets and offsite catering
- Created a music schedule for both floors consisting of full bands to piano players and light atmosphere music
- Curated the wine and spirit program and developed forward thinking cocktail program
- Spoke to the monthly P&Ls and devised plans to improve
- Schedule team members for both venues
- Attend and got involved with community programs that both help the business reputation and drove sales
- Achieved two cups from wine spectator
- Created standards that lead to the highest review scores in the area
- Exceeded revenue and lowered cost
- Retained and helped grow staff members through education and mentor programs
- Raised 45k for local dog shelter
General Manager - Jewel of the South - New Orleans, LA
(2020-08 - 2021-08)
Jewel of the South is a classic New Orleans tavern, reimagined. Steeped in history with creative and inspiring beverages and cuisine. Set in an old carriage house in the quarter with an amazing courtyard. Total seats 80 annual revenue around 2.5 million.
- Website management
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Accounts payable and set up terms with vendors
- Facility upkeep and maintenance
- Scheduling, staffing and training
- Ordering of all food and beverages
- Create extra revenue streams during covid through reimagining outside to bottle cocktail programs and activation
- Developed ticketed experiences and worked with bars and restaurants around the world to collaborate for month changes to menu and theme
- Won Tales of the Cocktail awards for both Best Bar Team and Restaurant Bar USA
- Won James Bread Award for best Bar Program
- On Pellegrino's top 50 bars in the world
- Travel to other countries Asia, Australia, Europe, etc. to collaborate with other amazing venues
Flavor Consultant - Mockly - New Orleans, LA
(2019-10)
Mockly is a New Orleans based RTD NA beverage that embraces both the spirit of New Orleans and also the cocktail cultural of that has been so big the last few years.
- Helped launch the first round of flavors to the local market mostly to restaurants, then to off premise accounts
- Promote the brand both local and around the country
- Created several new flavors both seasonal, roating, and core
- Press for the brand and marketing
- Education and trade show
- Rouses, Target, and Whole Foods Placement
- Vouge top three NA beverages of 2024
- New Orleans Native Trombone Shorty Shares How to Spend a Perfect Day in the Crescent City (Exclusive)
- The Best Canned Mocktails - Best Nonalcoholic Canned Cocktails To Buy
Area Director of Beverage - Due South Group - New Orleans, LA
(2014-10 - 2020-08)
Due South is a hospitality company based in New Orleans that consists of 3 restaurants. Balise Tavern is a modern tavern with a forward-thinking cocktail program. La Petite Grocery, which is a staple now of the city with fresh takes on New Orleans classics like Turtle Soup that been transformed into pasta dish. Justine is the new one set in the French Quarter it is a dive into the French side of New Orleans cuisine and culture.
- Beverage programing for all locations. Beverage list, cocktails development, wine pairings, education, and staff field trips
- Training all staff on all beverage items
- Staffing and training strategies
- Budgeting for all beverage items and forecasting
- Purchasing and inventory for all locations
- Design of all new bar and beverage area setups
- Nominated for Tales of the Cocktail best bar USA 3 times
- Eater top cocktail location for all venues
- Won Rising Star award for Star Chefs in the category of Beverage New Orleans
- La Petite Grocery won James Beard Award for best Restaurant South and Best Chef South
- Created a prime cost program that helped BOH at all locations better control cost and budgets
Bar Manager - Maison Premiere - Brooklyn, NY
(2011-02 - 2014-08)
Maison Premiere is rooted in the traditions and ceremony of oyster bars and absinthe cafés, where at-hand service paired with frank advice about daily shellfish and quenching wines serve as well as the recipes from old bar manuals.
- Beverage & cocktail programing
- Training all staff on all beverage items
- Staffing and training strategies
- Purchasing based on budgets given weekly and inventory
- Offsite and media brand awareness
- Nominated for Tales of the Cocktail best bar USA
- Eater award best bar New York
- James Beard Award best Bar Program
- Pelligrino top 50 bars in the World once as high as #7
- Engaged in the creation of Punch, an online site about beverages
- Got the honor to serve and learn from pillars of the hospitality community
