Wine and Spirits Account Manager - Power Play Beverage - Kansas City, MO
(2023-03 - 2024-05)
Solo Wine Rep in Kansas City Market from St Joe to Clinton MO (Warehouse/Office is located in St Louis).
- Hundreds of thousands in sales of company beverage products since March 2023
- Searched and located new wineries for the wine program
Company Sommelier/Professional Beverage Consultant & Trainer - Verbena an American Restaurant/PQ Services KC - Kansas City, MO
- Helped with layout of bar, including shelving, placement of spirits/wine etc./overall design
- Made final decision on all spirits, beer, and wine to open restaurant
- Created over 30 original martini/cocktail recipes, earning the company an ongoing profit center
- Created and maintained the Wine by the Glass, Bottle List, and the Reserve/Rare Wine list consisting of classic choices, new to the market selections, many hard to find, or small allocation wines
- Have trained every server and bartender on wine knowledge and professional sales approach
- Conduct wine/cocktail classes for guests, implement Wine dinners and tastings, help with developing almost all small to large private party wine pairings
- Started Happy Hour beverage menus, including wine, beer, and cocktail selections
- Helped with two of our sister restaurant beverage menus, including the new cocktails and wine menu at The Market at Meadowbrook, and the wine list at The French Market
- Happily created a wine program at Verbena consisting of 143 wines, that are ever changing and unique, and that offer the guest a chance at many wines not found with our competing restaurants (over one million dollars in wine sales during my tenure)
- Awarded Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for Annual Wine Awards for 2022
- Work hand in hand with the best wine distributors to strive towards the best possible value for the guest, and profit for the bottom line
- Consulted for the Inn at Meadowbrook (in same building as Verbena and The Market at Meadowbrook), writing their pool-side menu, beer menu, and finding all of the in-room wine bottle selections
Lead Bartender - Plate Restaurant - Kansas City, MO
- Help co-create the Tisane Cocktail List
- Helped train new team members
- Was responsible for creating authentic Amalfi Coast Limoncello and Orangcello, made numerous batches, found recipe and evolved upon it
- Fine dining service for the guests at the bar, also made the majority of all service well drinks for the entire staff
- Created several Drink Features, with Cost of Goods, also led bar team in individual wine sales
Sommelier/Wine Manager, Supervisor, Trainer, Mixologist - 6 Mile Chophouse - Kansas City, MO
- In house Sommelier, responsible for guest relations, guiding the guest to a great wine pairing with their meal
- Built and maintain a successful 120+ bottle only Reserve wine list
- Maintain a 100+ by the glass and bottle regular wine list, with over 30 wines by the glass
- Continually train a front of house staff of around 40 employees
- Created the last three martini/cocktail lists, offering many original and profitable drink recipes, with cost of goods/profit percentages
- Large role in beverage menus design, and development
- Have created and implemented multiple training courses, leading to a new culture of wine knowledge/passion in house
- Introduced a highly successful Wine Fight program at 6 Mile Chophouse
Wine and Spirits Account Manager - Valley Beverage LLC - Kansas City, MO
- Responsible for several retail and restaurant accounts
- Keeping accounts aware of new products, existing products, and possible on sale items
- Offer on premise training, as well as retail staff accountability
- Delivery Van and merchandising responsibilities
Regional Wine Tasting Host - Delegat & Oyster Bay Wines (New Zealand) - Kansas City, MO
- Responsible for public wine tastings throughout the Kansas City MO area
- Conduct restaurant staff training on Oyster Bay wines carried on wine lists
- Drive sales by informing customers on all four varietals Oyster Bay has released in the U.S.
- Responsible for booking events, and creating monthly schedules
Assistant Manager & Sommelier - Vinotopia - Kansas City, MO
- Responsible for all liquor inventory, training, cost control, and stocking wine cellar, beer kegs
- Act as Sommelier during dinner hours and private events, involved heavily in all wine sales
- Assist Restaurant General Manager with guests, and employee management
- Oversee the bar team, scheduling, training, and cleanliness of the bar
- Oversee quality, pour costs, side work and service for the bartender team
- Update, clean, and maintain Wine Emotion machines
- Update and publish all wine, beer, cocktail, and liquor menus
Shift/Bar Manager, Sommelier - Journey Steakhouse & Crazy Olives Sports Bar (Argosy Casino) - Kansas City, MO
- Responsible for daily management duties, including, drawer counts, cash drops, coaching employees, shift reports, on-going training for employees
- Also responsible for inventory of a multitude of restaurant items, including liquor, silverware, plates, glass and stemware, labor, etc.
- Helped maintain the wine cage, labeling, racking, and storage responsibilities
- Ongoing wine, beer, and drink training, help service staff focus in on specific wines, tasting notes, guides to better sales to the guest
- Help all steakhouse staff with wine sales
- Received a perfect score on a Secret Shopper Report on 1st day on the job
- Helped find a multitude of new wines for wine list at the steakhouse, very successful list
- Individually created new martini-cocktail list, with an emphasis on fresh and original recipes, second martini list at this location in six years
- Help guide servers and guests with selections of wines, cocktails, and after dinner drinks
Server, Bartender, Sommelier, Banquet Facilitator - Piropo's Grille - Kansas City, MO
- Fine Dining service at the table and at the bar
- Helped find new wines for wine list
- Train staff on wine and help guests select wines from lists
- Often led team in overall sales
- Lead Banquet Server handling vast majority of banquets, small to large
- Handled almost all high-end parties that only called for one server-facilitator
Head Bartender, Mixologist - The Majestic Restaurant - Kansas City, MO
- Head Bartender with large role in first two martini-cocktail menus, including new and original recipes
- Assisted in staff wine training and helped guests select wines from list
- Worked majority of night, weekend, and holiday shifts including jazz bar
- Responsible for bar guests and all drink making in front of the house
- Responsible for drawer accounts and accountability of liquor cost
- Often responsible for private parties on Main floor as well as Cigar Room
Manager - JP Wine Bar and Coffeehouse (Downtown KCMO) - Kansas City, MO
- Completed in-depth new server and bartender training programs, also used at Leawood KS location
- Responsible for managerial duties such as inventories, product ordering, payroll, training and quizzing staff, opening and closing duties, safe logs, expediting food, wine, and drinks when needed
- Responsible for building, appliance, and fixtures maintenance when called for
- Weekly tasted new wines adding input towards the ever-changing wine list
- Often handled banquet and private party set-up and expedition whether large parties or small affairs
Lead Bartender, Trainer - Nara - Kansas City, MO
- Had large role in several cocktail/martini lists, creating over forty original bar recipes
- Trained over thirty new bartenders and servers, on service, sake, wine and spirits
- Often lead in sales, working weekend, evening and First Friday shifts
- Also was a server trainer, and assisted the chefs as an expeditor when needed
