Open To Work
Cheyenne Zavatsky
Madison,AL
Work Preference
Summary
Operations-focused hospitality leader with 7+ years of experience across food and beverage, events, guest service, and team leadership. Known for bringing structure to high-volume environments, stabilizing event execution, and resolving issues quickly without sacrificing guest experience. Built trust by leading teams calmly under pressure, improving operational flow, and supporting strong revenue growth across multi-outlet hospitality operations.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Food & Beverage Manager
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Huntsville, AL
03.2019 - 12.2024
- Progressed from Bartender to Manager on Duty to Manager of Hospitality to Food & Beverage Manager.
- Directed food and beverage, cafe, food truck, concessions, event-bars, and client-facing operations across a 108-acre venue, with 4 to 10 bars active on peak days.
- Led 20 to 30 team members overall and regularly supervised 10 to 20 employees per shift across bartenders, servers, cooks, event staff, venue personnel, and office support.
- Managed 4 to 15 events per week alongside daily operations, supporting weddings, corporate functions, private events, and major public attractions ranging from 50 to 7,000 guests.
- Influenced annual revenue and helped drive 20% to 50% year-over-year growth above budget through stronger staffing, margins, guest experience, and service execution.
- Owned opening and closing procedures, event-bar cash closeouts, deposits, reporting, inventory and procurement, menu development, recipe creation, and coordination with finance.
- Rewrote the bar/venue client contract and vendor agreement, helped launch the garden's cafe/restaurant operation, and served as the go-to leader for VIP events, team training, issue resolution, and complex day-of logistics.
- Oversaw food and beverage operations, ensuring high-quality service and guest satisfaction.
- Developed and implemented seasonal menus aligning with garden events and visitor preferences.
- Managed vendor relationships to secure quality supplies while optimizing costs.
- Trained and mentored staff on service standards, enhancing team performance and efficiency.
Head Server / Head Bartender
Bar Louie
Huntsville, AL
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Trained and supervised restaurant staff, supported service standards, managed bar inventory, and maintained compliance in a high-volume environment.
- Handled guest service, product ordering, sales reporting, and team coordination while building strong customer relationships and supporting profitability.
Education
GED - Coursework in Aerospace Technology
Calhoun Community College
Decatur, AL01-2016
Skills
- Food & beverage operations
- Hospitality management
- Event operations & logistics
- Staff leadership & training
- Budget & margin oversight
- Inventory & procurement
- Client relations & upselling
- Cash controls & reporting
- Menu development
- Vendor coordination
- Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
- Square POS TripleSeat
- Food Handler Certificate
- Responsible Vendor Program
- Cost control
Career Note
Planned family leave / career pause from December 2024 to present; now pursuing an immediate return to full-time leadership.
Timeline
Food & Beverage Manager
Huntsville Botanical Garden
03.2019 - 12.2024
Head Server / Head Bartender
Bar Louie
01.2013 - 01.2015
GED - Coursework in Aerospace Technology
Calhoun Community College