Food and beverage Director or Restaurant General Manager

BENJAMIN O. ZANG

***** * ***** ******

Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 53224

Phone: 414-***-****

Email: ******@*****.***

Objective

Talented, experienced and highly motivated professional with over 25 years of sales, leadership and

customer service expertise in the food and hospitality industries, seeking to further grow with his

employer in a procurement, management or sales career

Work History

Food and Beverage Director

Brookfield Suites Hotel and Convention Center

Brookfield Wisconsin 53005

April 2014-present

Responsibilities

• Overseeing foodservice operations of a large full-service hotel and conference center, with

$1.75 million in annual gross revenue, with the goal of enhancing the overall guest experience, while

maintaining profitability, in compliance with company and safety standards.

• Managing staff and labor costs for employee teams servicing banquets, hotel restaurant and

hotel bar, including hiring / terminating, scheduling, training, performance evaluations and coaching, as

well as daily functions

• Managing food costs, including competitive analysis and menu pricing, inventory control,

purchasing, special event menus

• Serving as a manager on duty as needed, including guest interactions and customer service

• Maintaining operational standards, such as sanitation compliance, company policy compliance,

all department control procedures and reporting,

• Managing administrative duties for the department, regarding purchasing and vendor

communications, group billing and payments, payroll, budget forecasting, monitoring and reporting,

• Hands-on assistance in various areas of the daily operations of the department, as needed

On-Premise Outside Sales Representative

Johnson Brothers Liquor Company

Milwaukee Wisconsin 53224

August 2013- March 2014

Responsibilities:

• Using a consultative sales approach to grow existing customer accounts, as well as acquiring new

business, while meeting and exceeding required monthly sales and product placement quotas

• Maintaining an aggressive daily sales calls schedule within assigned territory, including prospecting

new business, customer product training, inventory management assistance, customer credit review and

money collections, as well as ensuring customer satisfaction and service issues resolution

• Efficiently using company provided tools and procedures, including proprietary CRM software for

accurate sales reporting and customer order processing

• Participating in ongoing product training and industry related continuing education

Owner

Blue Amber Consulting

Milwaukee Wisconsin

April 2013 – Present

Responsibilities:

• Providing a complete spectrum of restaurant and hospitality industry consulting services, including

operational efficiency, inventory management, menu planning, profit & loss analysis and strategy,

marketing, staff training etc. to some of the area’s restaurants / bars

• Successful launch of Tastefull personal chef service from brand creation and analysis to client

acquisition and retention, including ongoing operations and supervision

Executive Chef and General Manager/Operations Manager

The Harbor Inn Hotel and The Pie Place Café

Grand Marais, MN. 55604

Nov 2009 to Mar 2013

Responsibilities:

• Overseeing and managing daily operations of the restaurant and hotel, including but not limited to:

optimizing and implementing kitchen systems, managing product inventory; development and

implementation of ongoing sales and customer service training for serving and front desk staff, as well as

kitchen staff best practices training and supervision; ongoing and seasonal product and menu development;

shared oversight in daily hotel maintenance and front desk service; group travel and catering sales;

collaborating with catering director on special events and catering operations

• Participating in managing partner activities, including identifying profit and loss centers, forecasting

current and future business demands based on current trends in the hospitality industry, budget forecasting

and analysis, collaborating on marketing strategies

Achievements:

• Business growth from a starting gross of 100k to just under 3/4 of a million by end of 2012

• Doubled catering volume consecutively for the last three years

• Reduced food costs by 20% the first year, and have continually reduced to a final food cost of

22%

• Achieved Trip Advisor excellence award for the business in 2012

• Consulted in the re-branding and the reshaping of the image of both businesses, through the

internet and day to day customer interaction

• Retooled a menu to reflect the current regional and national trends in the industry

• Created a core staff now capable of training future employees

• Created an incentive based sales program to raise performance, which resulted in improved

customer relations and increased profitability by 10% in the first year of use

• Developed and integrated beer and wine sales into the business model

• Created a mutually beneficial cross marketing campaign between the hotel and the restaurant

• Created a county wide grass-roots marketing strategy that captured a 10% increase in local

business

• Created a sales model for cold calling for group sales and events

Bartender, Server, Trainer

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritville Café

Key West, Florida. 33040

Mar 2005 to Mar 2009

Responsibilities:

High volume food and beverage service at the world famous Margaritaville restaurant and bar; cash

handling; providing efficient and friendly customer service; creating and building a relaxing and fun

environment for restaurant guests; staff training for new employees

Achievements:

• Won a national sales contest for their roll out the "Margaritaville" line of flavored tequilas.

Bar Manager

The Sands Beach Club

Key West, Florida. 33040

Dec 2004 to Nov 2005

Responsibilities:

Handling daily cash deposits; liquor inventory and ordering; staff training and development; creating bar

menu and weekly specials that maximize price point fluctuations; overseeing daily operations; review of

operating systems.

Achievements:

• Created more efficient opening and closing procedures

• Streamlined food handling systems to create greater efficiency

• Worked on creating a jazz night special event complete with a specialized martini menu.

Pier Server, Bartender, Waiter, Mini Bar attendant, and Pool Server

Noble House Corporation/ Ocean Key House

Key West, Florida. 33040

May 2000 to Nov 2004

Responsibilities:

Serving drinks and food in a challenging high volume environment at the world famous tourist attraction

Sunset Pier; cash handling; fine dining service at the Hot Tin Roof Restaurant; fine dining bar service;

line cook; mini bar service; front desk and bell service.

Achievements:

• Won 10 out of 12 monthly sales contests annually, which resulted in a 4% monthly increase in

revenue in a 30 million dollar annual food and beverage department

• Winner of the Noble Gem award in 2003 awarded for outstanding service.

• Exposure to and experience in all the major parts of the resort’s departments

Front of House Manager

The Pie Place Restaurant

Grand Marais, MN. 55604

April 1994 to Aug 2000

Responsibilities:

Ensure guest satisfaction through set objectives that provide proper service and inviting atmosphere; cash

handling and inventory control; creation of beverage menu

Achievements:

• Established many of the fundamental business structures in a brand new business

• Created the standards for service and was one of the faces for the business in the early days

Education

Chadron State College

Chadron, Nebraska, Fall 1992

• Focus on communication, business, psychology and marketing

• Walked on, was a red shirted Tight End in division II football program

Kishwaukee College

Malta, Illinois, 1991-1992, 1993-1994

• General curriculum with a focus on communication, psychology, and business

• Speech Team member with top honors in extemporaneousness speaking, poetry, and

dramatic interpretation

• Was awarded a full scholarship for my excellence in Speech Team

SOFTWARE SKILLS

• Microsoft Office

• Photoshop Cs3

• Variety of POS: Rezovation, Ambur, Micros systems, Restaurant Manager, Sales Pro

• Ongoing software training as needed

CERTIFICATIONS

• Wisconsin Server/Seller certified

• Serve Safe Food manager certified

• Bartending license for county upon hire

Other Education

• Attended the Court of Master Sommelier’s Level One Class

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