Ian Fitzgerald
Food and Beverage
Knoxville,TN
Summary
SUMMARY A natural leader and loyal team player with great organization and communication skills with over two decades of experience in all areas of the hospitality industry. An asset to any organization Customer service-focused hospitality Beverage Director with strong expertise and content knowledge of beer, fine wines and spirits. Built career improving restaurant standards in providing quality beverages and service. Highly skilled in managing employees through entire hiring, training and scheduling areas.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
4
4
Certification
Work History
Food and Beverage Manager
Aimbridge Hospitality
06.2024 - Current
- Managed inventory effectively, reducing waste and optimizing stock levels.
- Resolved customer complaints involving food or beverage quality and service.
- Developed staff training programs to enhance service skills and increase overall efficiency.
- Maintained highest standards for beverage quality and service.
- Organized successful special events that contributed to increased sales figures.
- Conducted regular performance evaluations for team members, providing constructive feedback and opportunities for growth.
- Conducted hands-on training for equipment, demonstrating proper technique and safety protocols.
- Oversaw the hiring process for new employees, selecting top talent to join our team.
- Improved customer satisfaction by implementing innovative food and beverage menu options.
- Developed ongoing training initiative to improve beverage knowledge of serving employees.
- Developed relationships with suppliers and vendors leading to special volume pricing discounts and availability.
- Selected wine, beer and alcohol products based on customer feedback and local product availability.
Clubhouse Manager/Food and Beverage Director/Event Coordinator
Tennessee National Golf Club
04.2021 - 05.2024
- Responsible for maintaining building standards for both main clubhouse and pool clubhouse in the following but not limited to: Cleanliness, Stocking, General Wear and Tear
- Responsible for writing checks and keeping bills up to date/paid
- Responsible for maintaining professional standards of staff members
- Responsible for staffing all areas of the club
- Maintained 30% labor cost
- Maintained 33% or less food cost
- Developed multiple restaurant menus seasonally
- Trained food and beverage service personnel, confirming staff to provide recommendations and answer questions.
- Resolved customer complaints involving food or beverage quality and service.
- Developed wine and cocktail menus
- Developed multiple profitable social events for club engagement
- Overseeing All Food and Beverage Programs across multiple restaurants on property
- Overseeing All forms of communication from the club's platforms
- Establishing and maintaining club standards
- Maintaining day to day cleanliness standards throughout the facility
- Overseeing F&B and hospitality operations for outside events such as concerts, property sales, etc
- Developing and maintaining efficient communication practices between team members and customers
- Developed F&B practices responsible for an increase of annual F&B revenue of $100,000 to $1,000,000 in less than 3 years.
Special Events Director
Avalon Country Club
06.2013 - 04.2021
- Organized monthly social events at the restaurant for the Avalon neighborhood community
- Created marketing information for various different types of mediums, i.e. (flyers, social media promotions, wedding, banquet and conference rental contracts and informational packets)
- Coordinated events on and off-site on-behalf of Avalon; meeting with potential clients negotiate rental contracts and maintaining event budgets
- Represented Avalon Golf and Country Club as a whole at the Knoxville Bridal and Beyond
- Expo (2014, 2015 & 2016), and The Pink Bride bridal show (2017, 2018 & 2019)
- Maintained lower than 30% labor cost
Food and Beverage Director
Avalon Country Club
06.2011 - 04.2021
- Controlled the quality of all food and beverages served on property
- Established and maintained food cost standards at or below 33%
- Managed the staff throughout the year as well as making sure their training was up-to-date per our standard requirements
- Keeping labor cost under 30%
- Handled the inventory that is done monthly as a whole and nightly after every shift, of all food and beverage products
- Prepared food to order based on customer needs and desires
- Created a full-service breakfast and lunch/dinner menu based on the requests of the clientele
- Currently responsible for creating seasonal menu's for both a bar and grill menu and a fine dining steak and seafood restaurant featured in our two restaurants
- Created a vast catering menu and tournament menu with focus on cross utilizing products from our other two restaurants to service an event of any shape or size
- Maintained the kitchen cleanliness standards and food par-levels, as well as making sure the kitchen surpassed all restaurant evaluations done by the State
Director of Clubhouse Operations
Avalon Country Club
08.2018 - 03.2021
- Responsible for maintaining building standards for both the main clubhouse and the pool clubhouse in the following but not limited to: Cleanliness, Stocking, General Wear and Tear
- Responsible for writing checks and keeping bills up to date/paid
- Responsible for maintaining professional standards of staff members
- Responsible for staffing all areas of the club
- Maintained a 30% labor cost
- Overseeing All Food and Beverage Programs
- Overseeing All forms of communication from the club's platforms
- Establishing and maintaining club standards
Chief Communications Officer
Avalon Country Club
10.2016 - 03.2021
- Collaborating with graphic designer to create advertisements for various club activities
- Write weekly updates for the Community email
- Managing all writing for monthly newsletters
- Managing all information conveyed on website, www.avalongolf.com
- Managing/Posting New Content to Social Media (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram)
Executive Chef
Avalon Country Club
01.2010 - 01.2016
- Developed kitchen staff through training, disciplinary action, and performance reviews.
- Maintained a safe and sanitary work environment, adhering to health department standards and regulations.
- Increased customer satisfaction by creating innovative and diverse menus tailored to various dietary needs.
- Oversaw business operations, inventory control, and customer service for restaurant.
- Implemented special events promotions such as theme nights or cooking demonstrations to attract new clientele and boost sales revenues.
- Fostered a positive working environment among kitchen team members that encouraged collaboration, creativity, and open communication.
- Achieved significant cost reductions by negotiating with suppliers and optimizing inventory management.
- Requisitioned food, selected and developed recipes and standardized production recipes for consistent quality.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Communications
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville Knoxville, TN12.2016
Skills
- Event Logistics
- Leadership
- Food Cost/Menu Design
- Catering Events
- Food Safety and Sanitation
- Problem Solving
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Website Design/Maintenance
- Social Media Platforms
- Public Speaking
- Organization
- Microsoft Office
Food and beverage operations
Cost control
Wine pairing
Menu development
Labor management
Sanitation standards
Certification
- TABC Certified
- TIPS Certified
- Serv Safe Manager Certified
- CPR / AED / First-Aid Certified
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeWork Location
On-SiteHybridImportant To Me
Career advancementWork-life balanceCompany CultureHealthcare benefitsPaid time off401k matchStock Options / Equity / Profit SharingTimeline
Food and Beverage Manager
Aimbridge Hospitality
06.2024 - Current
Clubhouse Manager/Food and Beverage Director/Event Coordinator
Tennessee National Golf Club
04.2021 - 05.2024
Director of Clubhouse Operations
Avalon Country Club
08.2018 - 03.2021
Chief Communications Officer
Avalon Country Club
10.2016 - 03.2021
Special Events Director
Avalon Country Club
06.2013 - 04.2021
Food and Beverage Director
Avalon Country Club
06.2011 - 04.2021
Executive Chef
Avalon Country Club
01.2010 - 01.2016
Bachelor of Science - Communications
The University of Tennessee
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