Heather Hughes
Spokane,WA
Summary
Knowledgeable restaurant manager with solid history of managing restaurant operations and enhancing customer satisfaction. Proven track record of optimizing workflow and improving staff performance through effective training and leadership. Demonstrated ability to manage inventory and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Server
Davenport Hotel
Spokane, WA
08.2025 - Current
- Managed multiple tables efficiently during peak hours, improving overall service speed.
- Served food and beverages promptly with focused attention to customer needs.
- Collaborated with team members during busy shifts for efficient workflow and excellent guest experiences.
- Provided attentive service during high-volume periods without sacrificing attention to detail or guest rapport.
- Maintained clean and organized dining areas to uphold restaurant hygiene standards.
- Handled cash transactions accurately, contributing to balanced daily financial reports.
- Supported colleagues during peak hours, fostering a collaborative work environment that enhanced overall productivity levels.
- Increased sales with upselling techniques and thorough knowledge of menu items, specials, and promotions.
- Adhered to proper food handling procedures and safety guidelines for the well-being of guests and team members alike.
Senior Food Service Attendant
Sacred Heart Medical Center
Spokane, WA
03.2023 - 08.2025
- Responsible for going to patient rooms and assisting patients with placing their meal orders in accordance with their dietary requirements
- Working with the dietary and nursing staff to ensure that patients’ dietary and nutritional needs are met per meal period
- Assisting with taking meal trays to rooms, setting trays up, and opening items up for patients who may need assistance
- Gaining further knowledge into dietary restrictions and allergens.
- Followed safety and sanitation policies while handling food and beverages to uphold proper health standards.
- Dealt with a high volume of phone calls and in-room patient orders daily for one of the largest hospitals in the area.
Group Sales Coordinator
Oxford Suites Hotel
Spokane, WA
09.2023 - 03.2025
- Responsible for group bookings in multiple markets, particularly dealing with sports teams, schools and weddings
- Coordinating with different departments throughout the hotel in organizing and planning for groups arrivals
- Handled catering and meeting spaces for property. Helped to organize and set up functions of up to 45-50 guests
- Helped at Front Desk when needed, with checking in and checking out guests. Also, assisted with guest room reservations
- Dealt with billing of group accounts through Front Desk system of any room or catering charges
Server
Satellite Diner & Lounge
Spokane, WA
05.2023 - 01.2024
- Cocktail, wine and beer knowledge
- Processed cash and credit card transactions, contributing to balanced daily financial reports
- Assisted with training staff on new POS system (Heartland)
- Utilized strong multitasking skills by managing multiple tables simultaneously without compromising service quality.
- Collaborated with team members during busy shifts for efficient workflow and excellent guest experiences.
Restaurant Assistant Manager
Coeur d’ Alene Resort, Dockside Restaurant
Coeur d’ Alene, ID
10.2021 - 03.2023
- Responsible for primarily running the dinner shift at high volume hotel restaurant
- Assisting in scheduling for front of house employees
- Maintaining accurate kitchen times, product quality, and accuracy of all orders
- Handling large staff, ensuring all team members stayed on task
- Working with other management members to arrange large party reservations, limited menus
- Maintaining appropriate labor costs, based off business not only within the restaurant but also the Resort
- Handling and solving any guest issues that may arise during dinner service, making sure the guest leaves heard and satisfied. Turning poor experiences into positive ones that would become return visits.
- Wrote training manual for front of house positions during recent remodel
- Managed reservation system effectively, minimizing wait times and ensuring guest satisfaction.
- Collaborated with kitchen staff to expedite orders accurately and efficiently during peak hours.
Department General Manager
Coeur d’ Alene Resort, In Room Dining
Coeur d’ Alene, ID
02.2019 - 10.2021
- Responsible for staff scheduling based off hotel occupancy
- Inventory for both Room Service and Mini Bar Departments
- Maintaining accurate delivery times, product quality, and accuracy of all orders
- Updated Room Service Amenity Department, and worked on creating a more efficient delivery system
- Helped implement new amenity system, Canary, where guests could pre-order amenities
- Proficiency in Opera operating system
- Working on creating new menu ideas for Room Service Department, in close collaboration with Resort Chefs
- Maintaining appropriate labor costs, averaged a 1.5% decrease over the course of 2019
- Lowered Mini Bar liquor product cost by approximately 33% over the course of 2019
- Saw an increase of 37% in sales from 2019 to 2020
Server
Coeur d’ Alene Resort, Dockside Restaurant
Coeur d’ Alene, ID
03.2017 - 02.2019
- Ensuring all guests have been greeted in timely, friendly manner for a quality dining experience
- Helping expo when one is busy or not present
- Maintaining professionalism in high volume periods
- Responsible for food knowledge to assist guests with questions, or allergies/sensitivities, alerting Chef on duty
- Beer, liquor, and wine knowledge
- Worked with POS system to place orders, manage bills, and handle complimentary items.
- Created warm relationships with regular customers.
- Assisted in training new hires, providing guidance on restaurant standards and best practices.
Lead Bookkeeper
Anthony's Restaurant
Coeur d’ Alene, ID
05.2016 - 02.2019
- Setting appropriate banks for the restaurant and expected guest flow. Making sure that all cash on hand is counted daily and accounted for with zero discrepancies.
- Determining how much cash on hand is needed, ordering cash check from the home office/.
- Running daily and weekly labor and sales reports, verifying no discrepancies, if so, alerting general manager and making necessary adjustments.
- Inputting all new hire paperwork in system with proper job codes and pay rates were accurate.
- Following up with any termination paperwork for employees that had left the company.
- Inputting all Direct deposit, payroll information and sending to home office in a timely manner.
- Managed accounts payable and receivable, ensuring timely payments to vendors and maintaining positive cash flow.
Lead Server/Server Trainer
Bardenay Distillery
Coeur d’ Alene, ID
04.2015 - 05.2016
- Assisting management on guest issues, making sure all guests left satisfied.
- Worked in collaboration with the kitchen as an expo on busy evenings to ensure accurate and timely delivery of meals.
- Responsible for approving comped/returned items
- Managed high volume dining periods with effective time management and strong multitasking abilities.
- Promoted a positive workplace culture through teamwork, open communication, and mutual support among coworkers.
- Oversaw daily operations of service team, trained new staff and kept team on task with cleaning and side work.
- Implemented upselling techniques to boost average check size while still prioritizing guest satisfaction.
Lead Hostess/Cocktail Server
Abacus Restaurant
Dallas, TX
06.2012 - 02.2015
- Set up nightly floor plan on Open Table, made sure guests are seated promptly and efficiently, and maintained server sections
- Assisting management on overseeing Open Table reservations
- Making sure daily menu changes are updated with the Chef's presentations.
- Exuding a positive and upbeat demeanor, even when the restaurant was busy. Always presenting a smile.
- Ensuring bar guests received same dining experience as those in dining room.
- Managed guest waitlists effectively, minimizing wait times while still accommodating walk-in customers whenever possible
- Assisting Private Dining Guests with execution of events and restaurant buyouts
- Bar staff won Best Bar in Dallas – 2014
- FOH Staff nominated for James Beard Award for Service – 2014
Server/Server Trainer
Del Frisco’s Grille
Dallas, TX
10.2011 - 06.2012
- Opening team member of new restaurant concept.
- Taught daily classroom for trainees, as well as follow trainer on the floor.
- Performed opening and closing duties, ensuring the dining area was prepared for seamless service transitions.
- Utilized knowledge of menu to make recommendations, enhancing customer dining experience.
- Facilitated team-oriented atmosphere, assisting coworkers during rush periods to ensure smooth operations.
- Enhanced team efficiency, collaborating effectively in high-pressure settings.
Server/Banquet Server
The Players Choice at Craig Ranch
McKinney, TX
04.2011 - 09.2011
- Followed proper breakdown and set up for banquet service, for small and large events.
- Quality fine dining service for members and guests at prestigious TPC Golf Course.
- First introduction to the wine locker system for guests'.
- Elevated customer satisfaction by promptly attending to their needs and providing personalized service.
- Collaborated effectively with kitchen staff to ensure timely delivery of courses to guests.
- Refilled beverage glasses, cleared and reset tables, and stocked service areas.
Server/Banquet Server
Colonial Country Club
Ft. Worth, TX
04.2011 - 08.2011
- Set up and break down of banquets and large private parties at elusive private country club.
- Inventory Check List management, nightly storeroom orders and daily inventory
- Worked with POS system to place orders, manage bills, and handle complimentary items.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by promptly attending to their needs and providing personalized service.
- Maintained a clean and orderly dining area for an enjoyable guest experience.
- Strategically timed check-ins with customers to take orders and confirm satisfaction with meals after delivery, taking action to correct any problems.
Lead Hostess/Server/Admin Asst.
Brownstone Bistro
Ft. Worth, TX
06.2010 - 02.2011
- Booked all reservations and private parties through OpenTable. Set up daily server floor charts, and plotted any special table requests.
- Bi-weekly Invoice reports for all Front of House
- Handled all media inquiries for Executive Chef (Celebrity Chef Casey Thompson)
- Hostess trainer for all new incoming hosts.
- Assisted with marketing for new restaurant in a brand-new development. Handed out flyers to local businesses letting owners know the restaurant was opening.
- Opening team member
- Managed guest waitlists effectively, minimizing wait times while still accommodating walk-in customers whenever possible.
- Cross-trained to handle different restaurant roles, including serving, expo and bussing.
Education
Some College (No Degree) - General Studies
Weatherford College
Weatherford, TXSkills
- Reliability and punctuality
- Adaptability to change
- Food preparation assistance
- Mentoring and training
- Allergy awareness
- Efficient multitasking and task prioritization
- Cash handling proficiency
- Staff leadership and supervision
- Guest relations management
- Issue identification and resolution
Certification
- Serve Safe Management Certified (good through Nov. 2026)
- WA State Food Handlers Certified (Good through May 2027)
- Mast (Good through June 2026)
Timeline
Server
Davenport Hotel
08.2025 - Current
Group Sales Coordinator
Oxford Suites Hotel
09.2023 - 03.2025
Server
Satellite Diner & Lounge
05.2023 - 01.2024
Senior Food Service Attendant
Sacred Heart Medical Center
03.2023 - 08.2025
Restaurant Assistant Manager
Coeur d’ Alene Resort, Dockside Restaurant
10.2021 - 03.2023
Department General Manager
Coeur d’ Alene Resort, In Room Dining
02.2019 - 10.2021
Server
Coeur d’ Alene Resort, Dockside Restaurant
03.2017 - 02.2019
Lead Bookkeeper
Anthony's Restaurant
05.2016 - 02.2019
Lead Server/Server Trainer
Bardenay Distillery
04.2015 - 05.2016
Lead Hostess/Cocktail Server
Abacus Restaurant
06.2012 - 02.2015
Server/Server Trainer
Del Frisco’s Grille
10.2011 - 06.2012
Server/Banquet Server
The Players Choice at Craig Ranch
04.2011 - 09.2011
Server/Banquet Server
Colonial Country Club
04.2011 - 08.2011
Lead Hostess/Server/Admin Asst.
Brownstone Bistro
06.2010 - 02.2011
Some College (No Degree) - General Studies
Weatherford College