Christopher Hawkins Food and Beverage Professional

As a proven leader with many years of experience both back and front of the house, I have the fundamental

skills necessary to contribute to the success of your operation on many levels. Following are some key areas of

expertise.

Leadership

I was an integral member of the hotel’s negotiating team when bargaining over a new Union contract

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with regard to a new banquet gratuity structure and PTO payouts for tipped associates.

I initiated and led the hotel Green Committee, which implemented a recycling program for cardboard,

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metal, glass, paper, plastic, etc.(at no cost to the hotel) as well as wet waste from the kitchen and a

compost partnership with a local farm. We also submitted an application to the Michigan Green

Lodging Association and were in the process of applying for Energy Star certification.

I led the yearly Associate Picnic committee which was our largest associate appreciation function of the

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year for the 4 years it was held.

I have opened three hotels as an executive chef, as well as participated in many others as a member of

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the opening task force. I have also been called upon to help facilitate takeovers, assist with Grand

Opening parties, and tamp out ‘fires’ at distressed properties.

Cost control – During my last year and a half at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti I assumed direct leadership of

the culinary department in order to improve costs and improve food quality. During that period I

Lowered food cost from 28.1% to 24.5% - done by organizing purchasing and ensuring that we were

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buying from the right purveyors as well as developing standard recipes for catering menu that enabled

more accurate production.

Lowered labor cost from 14.8% to 12% for cooks during this period and lowered entire division labor

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costs from 32.4% to 25.2%.

I worked with the catering sales team to build in efficiency where possible – checking other functions

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when booking in order to cross sell the same items where possible, and to boost revenue when writing

custom menus through creative upselling.

Training – I excel in training in several ways

Daily stand up meetings covering sanitation issues, guest service, teamwork, and cooking methodology.

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I am serv safe certified and am also certified to train the program and proctor the exam for certifying

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team members.

I am a TIPS certified trainer (on my 14th year) and have trained over 140 associates in that time.

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One on one – I enjoy nothing more that sharing my knowledge. This includes a focus on sanitation,

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quality and efficiency all in a relative approach.

I have developed many individuals that have gone on to become Sous Chefs and Executive Chefs, as well

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as managers at every level of the organization.

Quality

Increased Overall GSS for Food and Beverage from 74.2 to a 76 (above brand average), and catering

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food scores that jumped on average more than 10 points.

I am an award winning chef, my team and I won the hotel’s first Taste of Honolulu award during my time

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at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki – a feat that we repeated 6 times.

I redirected the focus of our hotel restaurant at both the Ilikai (a mostly buffet type restaurant when I

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started, we became strictly a la carte with an aggressive ‘new wave’ Hawaiian themed menu, and at the

Ann Arbor Marriott, where we went from a traditional hotel menu to one that was much more cutting

edge and aggressive.

Most of the revenue and profit is in catering and I implemented several new practices that improved

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quality, including the brining of all meats prior to cooking, standardized recipes and purchasing higher

quality product.

Marketing

I developed and implemented a local area VIP card that enabled us to discount local business without

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affecting the profitability of our ‘captured’ business, and which garnered us a large contact list.

I am an accomplished photographer and did all the photos of new menu items that were used not only

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for the staff, but were used in marketing collateral as well.

I managed an email contact program, including collateral design, that enabled us to send emails to our

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client list with news of upcoming events and specials.

I designed and produced collateral for the lounge, elevator cabs and the lobby to promote the outlets. I

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also designed the logo for our lobby lounge/restaurant.

Computer Skills

Use and construction of excel worksheets

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Microsoft Word and Powerpoint

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Adobe Photoshop for photo enhancement as well as collateral design

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Micros property expert

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Familiar with use of Delphi

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Familiar with Profitvue accounting program

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Cheftec kitchen recipe management software

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4098 Willow Pond Dr.

Ypsilanti, MI 48197

734-***-****

abof3q@r.postjobfree.com

Christopher Hawkins Food and Beverage Professional

Employment

Director of Food and Beverage

4/2007 – 12/2012

Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti

Responsible for overseeing the Food and Beverage department during

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renovation of property and forward, including development of a new lobby

lounge concept, including name, logo, menu, and uniforms.

Stabilized a problem department while reducing costs significantly in both

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food and beverage areas. Profit percentage increased 8pts in food and 4pts

in beverage after my first full year on property, mostly through improved

controls.

Oversaw the expansion in June of 2012 of our management contract to

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include the attached conference center and the adjacent banquet room at

the golf course.

Director of Food and Beverage

8/2006-4/2007

Sheraton Oklahoma City

Responsible for Food and Beverage at Oklahoma City's largest hotel. Outlets

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include Aria Grill and Lounge, Room Service and a large catering facility.

Duties include implementation of controls and LSOP's, development of

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management staff and stabilization of crew.

Turnover was reduced greatly, staff opinion poll improved 25% over previous

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year, and profitability more than doubled year over year, even with larger

purchases of needed china, glass and silver.

Director of Food and Beverage Operations

8/2000-/2006

Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki

Oversaw Food and Beverage operations that encompassed a banquet facility

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with the third largest ballroom on Oahu, a 158 seat casual restaurant

featuring an award wining menu, and two bars with a total revenue of over

$10m per year. Responsible for hiring, training, developing, directing and

leading a team of six managers and over 100 hourly associates.

I was hired in position of Executive Chef in which I converted the restaurant

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from buffet service to a la carte, and developed a new direction through new

menus that resulted in steady increase in revenue, both by increased cover

counts and improved check average.

Greatly improved quality of catered events through development of new

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menus and implementation of recipes and use records for consistency.

Additional work history and references available upon request

Contact this candidate