GRANT FERGUSON
Portland,OR
Summary
Food and beverage professional with extensive expertise in enhancing dining experiences and optimizing service standards. Recognized for fostering collaborative team environments and consistently achieving business objectives. Highly adaptable to evolving industry trends and operational needs.
Experienced with wine curation, inventory management, and staff leadership. Utilizes in-depth knowledge of wine varieties and food pairings to enhance guest experiences.
Experienced with planning and executing variety of events, from corporate meetings to large-scale conferences. Utilizes strong organizational skills to manage multiple aspects of event coordination, including vendor relations and budget oversight. Track record of providing excellent client service and ensuring events run smoothly.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Food & Beverage Director
University Club Portland
Portland, OR
06.2025 - Current
- Directed operations for diverse dining venues, ensuring high-quality service and guest satisfaction.
- Developed and implemented seasonal menus, enhancing culinary offerings and member engagement.
- Managed budget forecasting and inventory controls to optimize beverage cost efficiency.
- Led cross-departmental collaboration to plan special events, enhancing club visibility and membership retention.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement, conducting regular staff performance evaluations and providing targeted feedback.
- Cultivated vendor relationships, negotiating contracts to secure quality ingredients at competitive rates.
- Oversaw staff training programs, promoting best practices in food safety and service excellence.
- Analyzed market trends to inform strategic decisions on menu development and pricing strategies.
- Curated monthly wine dinners and wine focused events.
Food and Beverage Manager
Soho House PDX
Portland, Oregon
06.2024 - 06.2025
- Completed paperwork detailing inventory, sales records, and employee performance.
- Evaluated efficiency of food and beverage serving practices and created new systems when necessary.
- Analyzed financial reports to identify areas of improvement in the Food and Beverage department.
- Established strong relationships with distributors, winemakers, brewers, importers, and other professionals in the industry.
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive wine program, focusing on high quality, small production wineries from Oregon and around the world.
- Coordinated weekly meetings with the culinary team to discuss upcoming events and special requests from customers.
- Monitored customer feedback and adjusted selections accordingly.
- Created cost-effective strategies to reduce costs while maintaining product quality.
- Wrote the schedule for a staff of roughly sixty employees covering all FOH F&B departments.
Wine Director
Woodlark Hotel
Portland, OR
06.2022 - 06.2024
- Managed cellar and beverage storage maintenance to prevent inventory spoilage.
- Conducted regular staff trainings on wine knowledge, resulting in improved service quality and increased sales.
- Streamlined ordering processes by implementing efficient systems for tracking inventory levels, reordering stock when necessary while avoiding stockouts or excess supplies.
- Set up wine tastings with wine reps and attend portfolio tastings.
- Implemented new promotional strategies, dramatically increasing business.
- Assisted guests in selecting appropriate wines based on their personal tastes and meal choices, elevating their dining experience.
- Managed wine inventory effectively, minimizing waste and maximizing profitability.
General Manager
ARDEN WINE BAR + KITCHEN
US
01.2020 - 05.2022
- Interview, hire, and train staff.
- Keep staff up to date and educated on new menu items and changes.
- Conduct pre-shift meetings to inform staff on service and guest notes including dietary restrictions and special occasions.
- Develop and maintain menus using InDesign and printing the appropriate amount for each service.
- Consistent communication with the Chef to stay on top of ordering inventory and restaurant supply.
- Overseeing nightly service and picking up tables/bartending when needed.
- Responsible for FOH staffing and scheduling.
- Keeping record of all of income and expenses.
- Daily motivation for all staff.
Harvest Intern
FLÂNEUR WINES
US
09.2020 - 11.2020
- Assisted the wine maker.
- Cleaned barrels, floors, walls, tanks, hoses, etc.
- Became certified to operate a forklift in order to pick up grape crates, move heavy equipment, etc.
- Tested pH and sugar levels in the grapes and wine itself throughout the winemaking process.
- Worked the sorting line pulling out bad grapes, twigs, insects, etc.
Beverage Director/Server Captain
ARDEN WINE BAR + KITCHEN
Portland, OR
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Create seasonal cocktails that match the bright, rustic style of the restaurant.
- Calculate the cost of ingredients that go into cocktails and create a price point for the menu.
- Weekly wine cellar inventory.
- Order liquor, wine and beer.
- Scheduling and conducting tastings.
- Featuring both local and international wines that pair well with the cuisine.
Server/Bartender
PALEY'S PLACE
US
06.2016 - 01.2018
- Responsible for setting up the dining room before service- polishing silverware/glassware and properly spacing tables.
- Guide guests through the menu and the specific style of dining.
- Write out the seven course tasting menus and pick wine pairings.
- Bartending- ordering liquor, creating cocktails and batching when necessary.
Server
EP & LP
US
05.2014 - 05.2016
- Guiding guests through a very unique menu.
- Our chef was from Fiji and used a lot of foreign ingredients that most were not familiar with.
- Proper communication to the chef regarding a large range of dietary restrictions guests had.
- Set tables with the appropriate silverware specific to guests' orders.
Education
LEVEL 3 WSET SOMMOLIER CERTIFICATION -
Wine & Spirit Education Trust
Portland, ORHigh School Diploma -
NH
Conway, NH06.2006
Skills
- Team Oriented
- Organized
- Problem Solving
- Verbal/Interpersonal Communication
- Efficient Under Pressure
- Multi-Tasking
- Enthusiastic
- Creative
- Record Keeping
- Profitable Thinking
- Scheduling
- CPR trained
- Heart saver CPR AED
- Cost control
- Purchasing management
- Vendor negotiation
- Wine history
Certification
Heartsaver CPR AED
Timeline
Food & Beverage Director
University Club Portland
06.2025 - Current
Food and Beverage Manager
Soho House PDX
06.2024 - 06.2025
Wine Director
Woodlark Hotel
06.2022 - 06.2024
Harvest Intern
FLÂNEUR WINES
09.2020 - 11.2020
General Manager
ARDEN WINE BAR + KITCHEN
01.2020 - 05.2022
Beverage Director/Server Captain
ARDEN WINE BAR + KITCHEN
01.2018 - 01.2020
Server/Bartender
PALEY'S PLACE
06.2016 - 01.2018
Server
EP & LP
05.2014 - 05.2016
LEVEL 3 WSET SOMMOLIER CERTIFICATION -
Wine & Spirit Education Trust
High School Diploma -
NH