Jess Owen
Resort General Manage & Executive Chef
Aberdeen,WA
Summary
Serviced-focused General Manager of a beautiful resort on the coast of Washington. I've been dedicated for 27 years (25 of those I was an owner alongside 3 generations of my family) to cultivating a unique and generational customer experience through exceptional service, fine dining, an award winning wine list and the location. I'm a sales leader with sound judgment, good planning abilities and interpersonal communication strengths. I excell at getting ahead of issues and making sure the day to day runs smoothly. Most importantly, I'm passionate about the guest experience. Nothing makes me happier than a guest who shares their fantastic experiences they've had while staying with us, particularly when that guest raves about the staff. My philosophy is we have no happy guests without happy staff. Staff & Guest retention go hand in hand.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Resort General Manager & Owner
Ocean Crest Resort
09.2014 - Current
- Oversee daily operations of every facet of the resort from the award winning Dining Room at Ocean Crest Resort, to the Hotel as well as the Spa with a crew of between 35-55 dedicated employees.
- Manage 45 rooms with 17 unique room types.
Manage Front of House & Back of House staff of approx 25 fine dining restaurant open 7 days a week 365 days a year.
Manage Spa with indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, exercise room & Massage Therapist. - Managed budget implementations, employee reviews, training, schedules, and contract negotiations.
- Managed a diverse team of professionals, fostering a positive work environment and high employee satisfaction.
- Developed and implemented strategies to increase sales and profitability.
- Cultivated strong relationships with clients, vendors, and partners to ensure long-term success and loyalty.
- Set team performance targets to motivate and reward staff.
- Strategized with owners & management teams to make sure all regulations, expectations & standards were consistently met.
- Deployed solid budget control strategies to achieve revenue and profit targets.
- Implemented marketing programs across various platforms (i.e. Facebook, Website, email, etc...) to connect with new customers and retain valuable relationships with existing costumers. I excell at creating developing advertising & marketing campaigns, sales promotions that increase brand awareness.
- Maintain Profit & Loss information to maximize revenue.
- Expert in conflict resolution both among employees and customers, always seeking the best solutions for all.
- Maintain relationship with 3rd party aggregate sites such as Booking.com to resolve issues and advocate for our customers & the resort.
- Built & maintained website with booking engine that was successful for decades while boosting brand awareness.
- Maintain schedule of operations to identify opportunities to streamline for the staff & resort to run smoothly.
- Organize regular inventory counts, keeping records accurate and identifying supply needs or loss points.
- Review time sheets, work charts, project progress to detect and reconcile any discrepancies either in progress or payroll. I accurately track all worker time in ADP.
Executive Chef & Owner
Ocean Crest Resort
02.2009 - Current
- Develop kitchen staff through training, disciplinary action, and performance reviews.
- Maintain 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, as well as being extremely well versed in food allergies.
- Develop dynamic menus to exceed customer expectations using the freshest seasonal offerings, making sure to cross utilize therefore keeping cost objectives in line. This includes enticing daily specials.
- Implementing new cooking techniques and equipment to keep kitchen staff at peak training. All menu items are made from scratch, meaning staff must be at their best.
- Encourage each & every member of the kitchen team to be creative. If there dish is delicious and meets the standards it often becomes a menu item.
- Encourage each & every member of the kitchen team to enter their own creations in local cookoffs, such as the Chocolate on the Beach Festival and the Dungesness Crab & Seafood Festival, for which we've won many awards.
- Trained and mentored new chefs, some with no experience, to not only hit our high standards, but go on to have successful chef jobs at other restaurants.
- Maintain detailed records of recipe development processes for future reference & consistency.
- Collaborate with suppliers, fishermen, farmers, etc to source the highest quality ingredients at competitive prices.
- Oversee business operations, inventory control, and customer service for restaurant.
- Calculate & maintain food cost, labor cost and keep expenses within moderate range, and food/labor costs hitting consistent targets.
- Monitor inventory on a daily basis, as well as a monthly count to be sure we are hitting targets and keeping inventory consistent .
- Interviewing, hiring & training both FOH & BOH staff, as well as delegating to management and staff.
- Handling the rare customer complaint, either in person,, over the phone, or online, with the utmost professionalism to provide swift resolution.
Assistant General Manager & Owner
Ocean Crest Resort
02.1997 - 09.2014
- Motivated, trained, and disciplined employees to maximize performance.
- Managed 45 rooms with 17 unique room types.
- Managed Front of House & Back of House staff of approx 25 fine dining restaurant open 7 days a week 365 days a year.
- Managed Spa with indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, exercise room & Massage Therapist.
- Enhanced business-wide performance with improved procedures and workflows.
- Improved profits by controlling costs without sacrificing service, overhead or quality.
- Increased sales with multifaceted approaches involving employee coaching, customer service and team motivation.
- Cultivated positive culture focused on employee empowerment, job satisfaction and teamwork.
- Created and cultivated relationships with business vendors, verifying performance and resolving concerns.
- Maintained point of sale system by reporting system failures and verifying download accuracy.
- Assisted General Manager in daily operations and decision making processes .
- As with my current duties, I managed inventory for restaurant, as well as other areas of the resort, including the Spa. Implemented dynamic marketing, built relationships with community partners, and promoted staff & guest satisfaction to the utmost. Much of what I do now as the GM is an extension of programs started as the Assistant General Manager.
Sales Associate
The Good Guys
03.1995 - 02.1997
- Organized racks and shelves to maintain store visual appeal, engage customers, and promote specific merchandise.
- Handled cash transactions efficiently while adhering to company cash handling policies, ensuring accuracy in all financial exchanges.
- Built relationships with customers to encourage repeat business.
- Managed returns, exchanges and refunds in accordance with store policy.
- Created great customer experiences with personalized sales support.
- Main focus was audio equipment, however I was able to navigate customers through entire store, complete all sales and process returns at all points.
- Maintained calm demeanor and professionally managed issues in busy, high-stress situations.
- Helped customers locate products and checked store system for merchandise at other sites.
- Provided positive first impressions to welcome existing, new, and potential customers.
Front Desk Agent & Night Auditor
Valley River Inn
03.1993 - 03.1994
- Collected room deposits, fees, and payments.
- Maintained accurate records of guest information, payments, and reservations using hotel management software systems.
- Provided exceptional service during high-volume periods or challenging situations, ensuring a seamless experience for all guests.
- Resolved guest issues promptly, resulting in positive feedback and return visits.
- Welcomed each new arrival pleasantly and confirmed reservations and identification.
- Utilized strong organizational skills to manage daily tasks efficiently while maintaining focus on delivering outstanding guest service experiences.
- Developed strong relationships with frequent guests for repeat business through personalized attention to their preferences.
- Coordinated with different departments, i.e. Housekeeping to make sure every part of the guest experience was up to the highest standards.
- Prepared daily reports on occupancy rates and revenue generation.
- Took reservations over phone, in person, and via computer for guests and provided confirmation information.
- Improved guest experience by educating on local attractions, and dining experiences.
Education
No Degree - Business Management
Trend Business College
Eugene, OR09.1994
GED -
Henry D Sheldon High School
Eugene, OR06.1991
Skills
Resort, Restaurant & Spa Operations Oversight
Hiring, Training & Developing Cohesive & Enthusiastic Team Enviroment
Passionate About the Customer/Guest Experience
Conflict Resolution
Operations Management
ServSafe Certification
Food Handlers Card & Class 12 Servers Permit
Strong Work Ethic
References
Professional References;
Mike Bruner
Manager Grays Harbor Tourism & Grays Harbor Fair
mbruner@graysharbor.us
360-482-2651
Kim Roberts
Owner Westport Winery
kim@westportwinery.com
360-589-1110
Vickie Raines
Grays Harbor County Commissioner
vickie_raines@hotmail.com
360-590-4100
Personal References;
Barbara Bennett-Parsons
Owner Elton Bennett Art
360-532-3235
barbarapar@comcast.net
David Quigg
Owner Quigg & Co Real Estate
dtquigg@gmail.com
360-591-2329
Volunteering
Board Member; Grays Harbor County LTAC, January 2004-Current
Board Member & Organizer; Chocolate on the Beach Festival, January 2015 - August 2022
Board Member; Ocean Shores North Beach Chamber of Commerce, October 2013 - August 2014
Board Member; Olympic Peninsula Loop Culinary Tourism Association, January 2009 - December 2017
Timeline
Resort General Manager & Owner
Ocean Crest Resort
09.2014 - Current
Executive Chef & Owner
Ocean Crest Resort
02.2009 - Current
Assistant General Manager & Owner
Ocean Crest Resort
02.1997 - 09.2014
Sales Associate
The Good Guys
03.1995 - 02.1997
Front Desk Agent & Night Auditor
Valley River Inn
03.1993 - 03.1994
No Degree - Business Management
Trend Business College
GED -
Henry D Sheldon High School
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