Aundrea Sparks
Panama City Beach,FL
Summary
Results-driven restaurant professional with 15+ years of experience in café and front-of-house operations. Skilled in hiring, training, payroll, vendor negotiation, and expense control. Focused on improving service quality, managing costs, and supporting smooth team performance.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Restaurant Owner/Operator
Home Plate Cafe
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
01.2008 - 03.2022
- Directed daily café operations at Home Plate Cafe, keeping front-of-house and back-of-house service running smoothly.
- Supported staff scheduling, training, and shift coverage for Home Plate Cafe.
- Assisted food prep, plating, and kitchen flow to maintain consistent café service.
- Tracked inventory, placed orders, and maintained vendor relationships to ensure timely supply availability.
- Resolved customer concerns promptly during service hours, and service recovery during busy restaurant hours.
- Enforced sanitation, safety, and compliance standards throughout Home Plate Cafe.
- Analyzed sales data to guide restaurant decisions on labor and expenses, optimizing operational efficiency.
- Coordinated menus, specials, and promotions to enhance customer engagement and drive café traffic.
- Interacted closely with customers through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
- Monitored daily operations including customer service delivery, kitchen production levels, cash handling procedures.
- Maintained detailed records of stock inventory levels in order to minimize losses due to spoilage or theft.
- Resolved customer complaints in a timely manner while maintaining high standards of hospitality.
- Developed relationships with suppliers in order to secure discounts on bulk orders of ingredients or supplies.
- Ensured adherence to all local health department regulations regarding sanitation practices.
- Established quality assurance protocols for food preparation processes to ensure consistency in product quality.
- Coordinated promotional events such as fundraisers or special occasions at the restaurant.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors for food supplies, equipment purchases, catering services.
- Developed comprehensive budgets to manage food and labor costs for food costs, staffing needs, overhead expenses, and capital investments.
- Analyzed customer feedback surveys to assess overall satisfaction levels with the restaurant's services.
- Identified areas of improvement in restaurant operations, staff training, menu development, pricing, and inventory management.
- Reviewed financial statements and analyzed sales data to identify trends and develop new business opportunities.
- Implemented cost-saving measures such as energy conservation initiatives and waste reduction programs.
- Managed payroll activities including processing timesheets and tracking employee hours worked.
- Hired and trained new staff members to ensure compliance with safety regulations and operational standards.
- Organized monthly meetings with employees to discuss performance goals and objectives.
- Conducted regular inspections of the premises to ensure cleanliness standards are met.
- Administered finances and led business operations by running payroll, making bank deposits and analyzing income and expenses to maintain cost-effective operations.
- Created weekly employee schedules and assigned work tasks to optimize staff coverage.
- Created unique recipes and applied various culinary techniques for authentic cuisine.
- Assisted staff by serving food and beverages or bussing tables.
Service Manager
On The Border Restaurant
Hot Springs, Arkansas
04.2006 - 01.2008
- Managed front-of-house operations for On The Border Restaurant dining room service.
- Supervised servers, hosts, and bartenders during busy restaurant shifts.
- Trained staff on guest service standards and daily sidework.
- Coordinated schedules, shift coverage, and team communication.
- Monitored POS orders, checks, and cash handling procedures.
- Resolved guest concerns and supported positive dining experiences.
- Enforced food safety, sanitation, and cleanliness standards.
- Worked with the kitchen team to maintain smooth service flow.
- Resolved customer complaints in a timely manner.
- Developed and maintained relationships with customers, vendors, and suppliers.
- Managed service staff to ensure customer satisfaction and compliance with company policies.
- Improved customer satisfaction ratings by listening to complaints and finding appropriate solutions to problems.
- Reviewed inventory levels and ordered supplies to keep products in stock.
- Prioritized and delegated daily work tasks to meet anticipated project goals.
- Conducted regular team meetings to discuss customer feedback, process improvements, and operational objectives.
- Motivated and supported employees to maintain low turnover.
- Hired and trained service department staff to drive performance.
- Created employee work schedules to keep shifts properly staffed.
- Assisted with various duties during peak periods.
- Trained new employees on the use of customer relationship management software system.
- Remained calm and professional in stressful circumstances and effectively diffused tense situations.
Education
Licensed Cosmetologist - Cosmetology
Ouachita Technical College
Malvern, AR05-2010
Skills
- Restaurant operations
- Menu planning
- Food safety compliance
- Inventory control
- POS systems
- Online order management
- Vendor negotiation
- Payroll administration
- Budget management
- Operational efficiency
- Staff management
- Staff scheduling
- Staff recruitment
- Customer engagement
- Customer relationshipships
- Team leadership
- Decision making
- Problem solving
- Small business operations
- Online order management
Accomplishments
- Best Overall Restaurant 14 years in a row
- Best Customer Service 14 years in a row
- Best home style food 14 years in a row
Timeline
Restaurant Owner/Operator
Home Plate Cafe
01.2008 - 03.2022
Service Manager
On The Border Restaurant
04.2006 - 01.2008
Licensed Cosmetologist - Cosmetology
Ouachita Technical College