Caleb Helsley
Marquette
Summary
I have worked in the Food and Beverage industry for 25 years with a mixed background of both front and back of house operations. I am highly motivated and adaptable in the ever-changing food and beverage world. Well-versed in restaurant management and operation from all standpoints. I have made the decision to attend college again in an effort to create a more fulfilling and meaningful future. I am pursuing a degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Natural Resources with the goal of conservation and restoration of local ecosystems and habitats. My diverse background in Food and Beverage have allowed me to become adaptable and resilient in new arising problems and creative and open-minded with solutions. I believe that translates perfectly into environmental sciences and conservation as we are facing a rapidly changing ecosystem that needs new innovative solutions. As a non-traditional student attending college later in life, I am extremely dedicated to this new path and will do everything I can to help protect the environment I live in.
Authorized to work in the US for any employer.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Bartender
Ore Dock Brewing Company
Marquette, MI
02.2025 - Current
- Cocktail creation and execution
- Time management
- Customer service
- Opening and closing duties
- Mixed and served craft beers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages to enhance customer experience.
- Maintained cleanliness of bar area, adhering to health and safety regulations.
- Developed strong knowledge of beer styles, ingredients, and brewing processes for informed recommendations.
- Trained new bartenders on beverage preparation techniques and customer service standards.
- Implemented efficient workflows to streamline service during peak hours, improving overall speed of service.
- Engaged with customers to build rapport and foster a welcoming atmosphere in the taproom.
- Served high customer volumes during special events, nights, and weekends.
- Managed cash handling duties responsibly, ensuring accurate accounting at the end of each shift.
- Performed opening and closing duties, printing sales reports, setting up for incoming shift, preparing cash drawers, and taking inventory.
Produce Manager
Coveyou Scenic Farms
Petoskey, MI
05.2025 - 08.2025
- Oversaw daily operations of produce department, ensuring quality and freshness of all products.
- Received, inventoried, and tracked all produce harvested from the farm
- Washed, packed, and stored all produce in accordance with food safety protocols
- Managed and maintained open air market for the public and deliveries to local restaurants
- Performed variety trials with record tracking for quality, yield, and cost effectiveness
- Worked every part of the farm from planting seedlings, transplanting, harvesting, and processing
- Managed inventory levels, optimizing stock to reduce waste and improve turnover rates.
- Trained and mentored staff on best practices for produce handling and customer service.
- Developed efficient workflows for receiving, storing, and displaying fresh produce items.
- Implemented safety protocols to maintain compliance with health regulations in produce handling.
- Trained and supervised produce staff for optimal performance and adherence to company policies.
- Maintained produce display, and prep and storage areas in clean and orderly condition.
- Strengthened profits by reducing waste, controlling shrinkage, and increasing team efficiency with optimized workflows.
- Managed product rotation to minimize waste, optimizing freshness and quality of available goods.
- Conducted regular inventory audits, addressing discrepancies and minimizing shrinkage due to spoilage.
- Assisted customers with produce questions.
- Maintained safety standards throughout the department, ensuring compliance with local regulations and company policies.
Bartender
Barrel back restaurant
Walloon Lake, MI
08.2019 - Current
- Responsible for opening and closing procedures of bar, drink creation, execution, training, and daily operation. High volume bar with fast paced environment.
Banquet Manager
Big Sky Resort
Big Sky, MT
11.2017 - 04.2019
- In this role I created and managed scheduling of employees, monitored hours and daily routine, and trained for serving and setting of banquets. I am also responsible for coding and posting all banquet checks to corresponding folios for accounting purposes as well as actualizing all accounts for each group attending our resort. I delegate both food and beverage and audio visual tasks as well as hands-on involvement in both fields. I meet and coordinate with all group leaders and am the contact point for all needs once they are in-house. I provide the communication between the kitchen and servers for events and coordinate the structure and flow of large-scale events.
- Coordinated large-scale banquet events, ensuring seamless execution and guest satisfaction.
- Managed vendor relationships, negotiating contracts to optimize service quality and cost efficiency.
- Developed and implemented training programs for staff, enhancing service delivery and team performance.
- Oversaw inventory management, ensuring adequate supplies while minimizing waste and costs.
- Collaborated with culinary teams to design customized menus tailored to client preferences and dietary needs.
- Led pre-event meetings with clients to understand requirements, aligning expectations with operational capabilities.
- Analyzed post-event feedback to identify improvement areas, driving continuous enhancement of banquet services.
- Streamlined event setup processes, reducing turnaround times while maintaining high-quality standards in service delivery.
- Delegated tasks to staff members to maximize production under tight deadlines.
- Enhanced banquet operations by streamlining communication between kitchen and service staff.
- Increased guest satisfaction by anticipating needs and providing exceptional service during events.
Assistant General Manager Andiamo Italian Grille
Big Sky Resort
Big Sky, MT
05.2017 - 09.2017
- In this role I was responsible for the hiring and training of all front of house staff in a fine dining atmosphere. I created and managed the beverage program for the bar which included the creation of the specialty cocktail menu, creating and editing the wine menu, ordering product for both the bar and serving aspects of the restaurant, and keeping an accurate inventory and cost of goods analysis for all products. I created and managed the scheduling of employees and was the on the floor manager for any and all guest needs. I was also responsible for the expediting of food from the kitchen to the serving staff creating a smooth and constant flow from back of house to being served at the tables. I received my Sommelier certification during this period as well, so wine knowledge is a strong point in my education as well as craft cocktails and overall service in fine dining.
Assistant General Manager Headwaters Grille
Big Sky Resort
Big Sky, MT
11.2015 - 04.2017
- This position required me to create and be in control of all scheduling for front of house staff as well as managing day to day operations. I created and managed the beverage program which included the creation of menus, ordering product, inventory and cost of goods analysis, and continuing education focusing on new and local product lines. I was very hands on behind the bar and also in the kitchen filling shifts in every aspect of the operation of the restaurant. In my leadership role I conducted interviews as well as performance reviews and day to day monitoring of staff morale. I was responsible for the opening and closing duties associated with the restaurant which included closing of all banks, monitoring cleaning procedures, and the proper storage of product.
Bar Lead Everett's 8800
Big Sky Resort
Big Sky, MT
12.2014 - 04.2015
- The opening and closing procedures of this bar became my main responsibilities as well as the daily operation. I assisted with the ordering of product and creation of cocktails. Being very multi-task oriented was essential to this position with serving the customer needs at the bar as well as the high volume of drink orders from the servers in the dining room. A fast-paced fine-dining lunch operation demanded being task-oriented and efficient in many aspects.
Bar Lead
Moonlight Basin
Big Sky, MT
05.2012 - 03.2015
- Responsible for opening and closing procedures of the bar operation. Assisted with inventory and ordering of product as well as creation of cocktail menu. Responsible for counting and closing of tills/banks and closing of restaurant. Multi-position oriented including serving tables, cooking, and hosting. Very high volume bar, especially for apres, demanded being customer oriented and efficient in serving a high number of clients in an orderly and professional manor.
Head Chef
Somerset Pointe Yacht Club
Boyne City, MI
05.2010 - 10.2011
- In this role I was solely responsible for the creation of multiple menus that served our clientele, which included members and the open public. Being flexible and creating menus for members only nights, themed menus for events, and the lunch and dinner menu open to the public. Ordering of all product for daily operation the restaurant as well as inventory and cost of goods analysis. Interviewing and hiring of all kitchen staff as well as staff evaluations and performance reviews. Opening and closing of restaurant including creating and maintaining of cleaning procedures. Serving the food directly to tables from the kitchen and educating staff on all ingredients, history, and creation of every dish being served.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Science
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI05-2026
Skills
- Time management
- Tree inventory (5 years)
- Plant identification (5 years)
- Invasive species management (4 years)
- Habitat conservation (5 years)
- Species Identification (5 years)
- Field Research (2 years)
- Training
- Chainsaw (10 years)
- Organizational Skills
- Operations Management
- Highly reliable
- Team player attitude
- Strong multitasking
Certification
- Sommelier level 1
- August 2017 to August 2020
- Level 1 certification in wine, beer, cider, and spirit knowledge and service
Timeline
Produce Manager
Coveyou Scenic Farms
05.2025 - 08.2025
Bartender
Ore Dock Brewing Company
02.2025 - Current
Bartender
Barrel back restaurant
08.2019 - Current
Banquet Manager
Big Sky Resort
11.2017 - 04.2019
Assistant General Manager Andiamo Italian Grille
Big Sky Resort
05.2017 - 09.2017
Assistant General Manager Headwaters Grille
Big Sky Resort
11.2015 - 04.2017
Bar Lead Everett's 8800
Big Sky Resort
12.2014 - 04.2015
Bar Lead
Moonlight Basin
05.2012 - 03.2015
Head Chef
Somerset Pointe Yacht Club
05.2010 - 10.2011
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Science
Northern Michigan University