LAURA HALL
480-***-**** • ************@*****.***
GENERAL MANAGER
A passionate servant leader who has successfully built and developed teams to embrace the mission to not only feed people but help them create memories around the act of enjoying meals together. Driven to make a difference in the lives of guests and employees to instill a sense of loyalty, which drives retention of both teams and customers. Consistently create a positive work environment that focuses on collaboration, service, and gratitude. Possess a can-do attitude that is infectious and leaves others feeling appreciated and inspired.
Operations Management Employee Development Team Training Guest Relations
P&L Management Office Management Menu Creation Catering
Payroll Management Revenue Generation Quality Assurance Inventory Management
Process Improvement Special Events Sales & Marketing Innovation-Social Media
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Anoche Cantina and Six40Rty Bar and Grill February 2023 – April 2023
Provides dining and spirited beverage services to local and out of state guests.
Front of House Manager (Server – Runner – Host)
Oversee the interview and hiring processes for positions such as servers, hosts, bussers, and bartenders. Direct, and actively participate in the training of personnel in these positions.
Additionally, supervise the cleanliness and upkeep of the dining room and guest contact areas, including restrooms and any closet/coat check areas. Supervised individual shifts, helping ensure that dining guests are served in a manner that meets the standards set by the restaurant. Deliver the professional greeting of clients and visitors, to the highest standards. Ensure the team leaders and supervisors coordinate their staff to ensure the delivery of exceptional front of house services. Implement dynamic operational working procedures, to support the delivery of service excellence. Develop strong communication and line reporting procedures to guide service implementation making improvements or changes where required. Implement safe working practices to ensure safety of building occupiers and visitors.
HMS Host, Sky Harbor Airport T4 (Fox Block) November 2022 – February 2023
Provides dining services to travelers using, air, train and ship motilities globally.
Assistant General Manager (Expo – Server– Host)
Assist Branch management in tactically executing complex QSR management operations. Ensure the restaurant is clean, ready for business, staffed, and operates to high operational standards. Use prescribed policies and procedures to make educated management decisions. Present training and education material to front line staff and maintain daily HACCP documentation and take corrective action if needed. Ran the expo line, took orders for customers, placed orders using the Aloha system, delivered food and cashed out customers. Closeout/ pay out, all wait staff and bartenders nightly. Enforce all safety precautions mandated through airport and or TSA.
Eurest at Wells Fargo Corporate Center, Chandler, AZ August 2018 – September 2022
Provides dining services to companies across the United States.
General Manager
Directed café operations, coffee kiosk, and catering with team of 23 serving 3,300 guests breakfast and lunch daily. Developed menus and budgets for $3M 5-year contract while managing inventory and food costs. Implemented Instagram marketing plan to reach Wells Fargo employees and drive business.
Retained all but 2 employees during COVID-19 restrictions by re-homing them to new locations and reaching out to local food banks to provide 2,200 box lunches daily.
Improved customer service scores and reduced customer wait-time through collaboration with offsite IT team to create and launch new mobile app; directed and managed team training, customer database, and marketing efforts.
Achieved bonus during first and second year of COVID-19, even when client subsidized meals, by implementing parameters on what was included to better manage inventory and profits, creating daily specials with add-on options.
Sodexo, Phoenix, AZ October 1996 – May 2018
Provides facilities management and food services to schools, hospitals, and senior living communities.
Retail Manager 3, Phoenix Children’s Hospital (April 2017 — May 2018)
Developed growth plan with a focus on bringing pricing in alignment with current costs; worked with employees, general manager, and retail director to choose which items to re-price and then created outreach campaigns to communicate updates. Managed team of 19 in café and coffee kiosk feeding approximately 8,000 guests daily. Assisted catering manager and initiated ideas and marketing for holiday events.
Decreased incidents and accidents 15% each quarter, moving to accident-free workplace by year’s end, through partnership with local IT company to create paperless tracking and safety program for FNS department.
Increased sales and profit margins through price increases and add-on items.
Interim General Manager, University of Advanced Technology (January 2017 — April 2017)
Placed into role to fill vacancy and spent most of tenure developing budget and approach to update location. Presented new ideas to management and helped create plan to move forward.
Retail Manager 3, Grand Canyon University (August 2013 — January 2017)
Coordinated efforts with construction team to layout several new brand concepts on campus, developing strategies for staffing, growth, and marketing. Facilitated numerous job fairs on campus and off, including working with local government agencies to secure new employees. Team consisted of 6 managers and 500 total employees; supported managers in implementing strategies for success to meet set goals. Supported campus catering events as needed.
Successfully opened 5 new restaurants in 6 months, staffing more than 300 positions and training management team.
Eliminated overtime in all units in first month through close supervision of managers and schedules.
Recognized as student engagement ambassador for university engagement and compliance.
Retail Manager 2, Northern Arizona University (October 2010 — August 2013)
Managed 8 concepts on north campus, including in-house and licensed vendors and cafeteria. Directed combined team of 270 student and full-time employees serving approximately 5,000 guests at each meal service. Worked closely with controller on financials and with marketing team on outreach. Developed operational procedures for sandwich shop concept, installed one new restaurant on campus, and supported catering events as needed.
Boosted customer satisfaction 42% following implementation of pilot program for mobile ordering system at south campus, which soon went live campuswide.
Realized 100% compliance with safety trainings and reclaimed several labor hours previously spent on training by providing each location with comprehensive safety binders, allowing managers to provide and document one-to-one training throughout the month.
Retail Manager 3, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center (January 2007 — September 2010)
Promoted to launch program from the ground up as the driving force behind hiring and training employees and developing strategies to provide patient services, eventually expanding to retail. Partnered with nutritionist to establish menus that catered to clients’ diet restrictions. Directed team of 16 serving 450 guests daily. Managed marketing efforts, including patient newsletter and communication board with daily specials. Catered events of varying sizes on and off campus.
Improved usability of kitchen through collaboration with vendors and facilities management on initial design and equipment installation.
Ensured patients received correct meals via creation of more streamlined food-delivery system, thereby reducing potential delivery errors and enhancing patient experience.
Increased Wednesday sales 13% through implementation of live-cooking events every Wednesday.
Prior Roles at Sodexo…
Hospitality Services Manager, Phoenix Children’s Hospital (October 2001 — January 2007)
Facilities Coordinator, Arizona State Hospital (October 1996 — October 2001)
EDUCATION
Coursework toward Bachelor of Science (BS), Business Management, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
CERTIFICATE
Manager Food and Alcohol ServSafe Certifications
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Child Crisis Center • St. Mary's Food Bank