Brandy Cole
Canton,GA
Summary
General Manager leading 20+ people at once across multi-department restaurant operations, $2M+ annual revenue, staffing, and guest experience, leading my team to raise more than $100,000 for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Strengthens performance through operational systems, staff training, and labor and cost control, including training 5 new managers or staff members per year, while coordinating reporting, payroll, and cross-department communication. Drives sales growth, compliance, and team development in a high-volume hospitality setting.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
General Manager
The Melting Pot
Kennesaw, GA
06.2015 - Current
- Direct up to 10 managers and 25+ associates across 4 departments, generating over $2 million annually.
- Centralize material planning, data collection, payroll, and accounting in QuickBooks to streamline time and labor management.
- Develop an employee handbook, detailed job descriptions, and workflow plans to formalize operating procedures and policy development.
- Train new managers and staff on best practices, cross-training, and restaurant training programs across multiple departments.
- Track weekly sales and present business development reports to senior leadership for planning and budget forecasting.
- Coordinate business initiative rollouts, marketing strategy, vendor procurement, and inventory control to support daily operations.
- Led the Kennesaw, Ga Melting Pot team to raise over $100,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
- Maintained compliance with company policy and government regulations.
General Manager
The Preppers Vault
Kennesaw, Ga
05.2013 - 01.2015
- Managed weekly store layout updates and product displays to strengthen in-store presentation.
- Led store operations as General Manager after being promoted within two months of joining the team.
- Promoted the store through social media outlets to support local awareness and product visibility.
- Interviewed, hired, and trained new staff to build a reliable team.
- Coached team members on performance goals to improve individual output and accountability.
- Coordinated vendor and television-star appearances to support store events and customer interest.
Server Shift Leader
Fine Dining Server The Melting Pot
Kennesaw, GA
08.2010 - 05.2013
- Maintained high service quality and personable guest interactions in a fast-paced fine dining environment.
- Kept new management informed on policies and procedures to support smooth shifts and consistent execution.
- Built memorable guest experiences by anticipating service needs and delivering attentive table support.
- Earned recognition from ZD Wines for top sales performance and strong product knowledge.
- Trained server assistants, hosts, and servers while reinforcing service standards and shift readiness.
Customer Service Representative
CarMax
Lithia Springs, GA
12.2004 - 12.2007
- Organized time-sensitive documents and maintained a filing system that reduced confusion and improved retrieval speed.
- Answered service calls, booked repair appointments, and guided customers through warranty questions and other concerns.
- Supported billing conversations by explaining payment options and helping customers complete needed setup steps.
- Earned employee of the month recognition and a raise after becoming certified as a service consultant.
- Developed vehicle sales knowledge through training and certification while delivering reliable customer service in a high-pressure environment.
Server Shift Leader
O'Charley's Restaurant
Canton, GA
12.2000 - 12.2007
- Applied menu knowledge to support hostess, bartender, and chef duties across multiple service areas.
- Adapted quickly to different roles when management needed coverage on the floor or behind the bar.
- Transferred to new locations to help open stores and support launch-day operations.
Skills
- QuickBooks
- Labor cost control
- Marketing
- Policy development
- Inventory control
- Vendor management
- Budget forecasting
- Operations management
- Staff training
- Scheduling coordination
- Employee handbook development
- Food safety compliance
- Restaurant training programs
- Performance coaching
- Workforce planning
- Policy enforcement
- Menu planning
- Guest service recovery
Awards & Honors
Received MVP for Melting Pot management 3 times.
Timeline
General Manager
The Melting Pot
06.2015 - Current
General Manager
The Preppers Vault
05.2013 - 01.2015
Server Shift Leader
Fine Dining Server The Melting Pot
08.2010 - 05.2013
Customer Service Representative
CarMax
12.2004 - 12.2007
Server Shift Leader
O'Charley's Restaurant
12.2000 - 12.2007