Blake Fugate
Hospitality Operations Leader | General Manager | Restaurant & Entertainment Operations
Pompano Beach
Summary
Results-driven Hospitality Operations Leader with expertise in launching and managing high-volume restaurant, bar, and entertainment venues. Skilled in building effective teams, enhancing operational systems, and improving guest satisfaction. Focused on creating scalable processes that drive efficiency and foster repeat business.
Overview
3
3
Certifications
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
General Manager
Birdies Sporting Club & X-Golf Brooklyn
06.2024 - 06.2026
- Directed end-to-end facility operations across food and beverage, entertainment, and guest services, ensuring operational excellence, team performance, and exceptional guest experiences.
- Designed and implemented scalable operational systems, including SOPs, training manuals, scheduling, payroll, reservation procedures, and cross-department workflows.
- Recruited, trained, and developed a team of approximately 20 employees and 3 managers, fostering accountability, collaboration, and a high-performance culture.
- Directed purchasing, inventory management, and budget oversight across food, beverage, and golf operations, optimizing costs while maintaining inventory accuracy and operational readiness.
- Streamlined workflows and implemented process improvements to enhance operational efficiency across departments.
- Collaborated with vendors, suppliers, and league sponsors to support purchasing, promotional events, and community partnerships contributing to business growth.
- Created golf and dart league programming that enhanced customer engagement, strengthened community presence, and encouraged repeat business.
- Built strong guest relationships by resolving inquiries, managing reservations, and delivering personalized service that encouraged customer loyalty.
Restaurant Front of House Manager
Teocalli Cocina
03.2022 - 05.2024
- Directed floor operations, resolved guest concerns, coached staff in real time, and ensured seamless service execution during peak business hours.
- Oversaw floor management tasks, provided shift support, checked side-work, processed comps and voids, assisted staff, and resolved guest concerns to maintain operational flow.
- Directed floor operations, resolved guest concerns, coached staff in real time, and ensured seamless service execution during peak business hours.
Lead Bartender/Floor Manager
X-Golf DTC
08.2020 - 02.2022
- Oversaw daily operations for indoor golf entertainment facility, integrating golf simulator, bar, and kitchen service to enhance guest experience.
- Trained employees as lead bartender, coordinating guest reservations and simulator use to streamline facility operations.
- Maintained bar and kitchen inventory, enforcing food, beverage, and workplace safety standards to ensure compliance and quality.
Pool Server
Marriott's Maui Ocean Club
10.2016 - 02.2020
- Enhanced overall dining experience by developing expertise in guest service, teamwork, menu knowledge, and order accuracy.
- Ensured timely poolside service by coordinating with team members, directly contributing to guest satisfaction.
- Fostered loyalty among repeat and vacation ownership guests by cultivating strong relationships through exceptional, personalized guest service.
Education
High School Diploma - Honors
Belleview High School
Belleview, FL06-2013
Some College - Music Business
University of Florida
Tampa, FLSkills
- POS Systems
- Reservation Systems
- Scheduling Systems
- Payroll Systems
- Microsoft Office
- Google Workspace
Skills
- Restaurant & Hospitality Operations
- Team Leadership & Staff Development
- Process Improvement & SOP Development
- Payroll, Scheduling & Labor Management
- Revenue Growth & Customer Retention
- New Business & Venue Openings
- High-Volume Food & Beverage Service
- Hiring, Training & Onboarding
- Guest Experience & Service Recovery
- POS & Reservation Systems
Accomplishments
· Launched one of Brooklyn's largest sports bars and indoor golf entertainment venues from concept through opening.
· Built the operational foundation for a multi-concept hospitality business, implementing systems for staffing, training, scheduling, payroll, reservations, and POS.
· Created customer engagement initiatives that grew recurring business through golf and dart leagues with more than 150 active members.
· Recruited, trained, and developed teams of up to 30 employees while leading day-to-day multi-department operations.
Certification
First Aid and CPR
Timeline
General Manager
Birdies Sporting Club & X-Golf Brooklyn
06.2024 - 06.2026
Restaurant Front of House Manager
Teocalli Cocina
03.2022 - 05.2024
Lead Bartender/Floor Manager
X-Golf DTC
08.2020 - 02.2022
Pool Server
Marriott's Maui Ocean Club
10.2016 - 02.2020
High School Diploma - Honors
Belleview High School
Some College - Music Business
University of Florida