Juan E. Chalas
Orlando,Florida
Summary
Result-oriented professional with 17+ years of experience in the hospitality industry, specializing in food and beverage. Worked in five countries and with four renowned brands under the Marriott umbrella: Renaissance, Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott Hotels, and Marriott Vacation Club. Also served as the Food and Beverage Manager at Bluegreen Vacations Corporation's flagship resort in Orlando for two years. These diverse experiences have honed adaptability, empathy, and effective collaboration with colleagues to consistently surpass shared objectives. Currently serving as the General Manager for the largest and only upscale restaurant at Orange Lake Resort, a property spanning over 1100 acres, 4 golf courses, and 2478 rooms. This massive operation demands a high level of focus, partnerships, and influence that have complemented one's leadership skills and vision of the operation.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Food and Beverage Manager
ORANGE LAKE RESORT BY HOLIDAY INN CLUB VACATIONS
03.2023 - Current
- Managed the entire operations of the upscale Restaurant of the resort, River Island Grilling Company and Tradewinds Bar and Grill, overseeing the entire operation of the restaurant, front and back of the house with a staff of 68, including an Executive Sous Chef, two kitchen Supervisors, a Food and Beverage Manager, Asst
- Food and Beverage Manager and, two FOH F&B Supervisors
- Current Budget is 6.1MM
- Stabilized the COGS of the department, with over 250k in savings YOY
- Currently COGS are 2% lower than budget without impacting the quality of our offerings
- Collaborated with Executive Chef and Sous Chef to create The Brunch by the River Menu, this new offer for the property has been a Success, increasing revenue by 200% on Saturday and Sunday
- Partnered with our accounting team to create a Labor tool that would provide real data of labor usage, broken down by salaried employees, hourly associates, and allocations
- This tool is used daily to better understand how to properly manage our labor based on revenue
- Retrained and implemented daily inspections in our kitchen that guaranteed our compliance with the Florida Health department, bringing the number of violations from 55 in early 2023 to only 4, corrected on site violations, in our last visit in 2024
- Created a Wine program for the department and currently working on implementation of Wine service and proper wine storage processes and training for servers and bartenders
- Projected wine revenue increase of 300% YOY
Property Food and Beverage Manager
THE FOUNTAINS RESORT BY BLUEGREEN VACATIONS
07.2020 - 03.2023
- Managed the entire operations of the Food and Beverage department, overseeing two pool bars, Clubhouse Marketplace, Lobby Bar, Gift Shop, and Banquets
- With a total of 38 associates, 3 Supervisors, and 1 Assistant Manager as a direct report, with a Revenue close to 5.5MM for 2022
- Developed the 'Food and Fun' Concept for the property by strategically partnering with our Activities department and creating exciting events paired with Food and Beverage options
- Directly responsible for the results of our Operational Compliance audit and Internal Audit done yearly throughout the company
- During the last OC audit, the Food and Beverage department went from 76% to 87%
- Responsible for reorganizing the Food and Beverage department when the resort reopened after the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown
- In charge of bringing back associates from furlough, retraining them in the company standards, re-evaluating all Food and Beverage processes, and implementing high standards and procedures that have made it possible for us to achieve and exceed our financial goals
- Responsible, together with Resort Management, for transitioning the entire Food and Beverage Operation into a cashless operation, immediately increasing productivity and staff engagement
- Stabilized COGS overall by implementing consistent inventory processes that allowed to count items faster and more efficiently, reducing the time utilized in inventories and increasing accuracy
- Responsible for creating the monthly Forecast in collaboration with Resort Management and our Accounting partners
- Actively involved in all Associate Engagement initiatives by the department leaders and responsible for ensuring we provide the team with a great work-life balance through our schedules, considering their individual needs
- Recognized by the Sales and Marketing division of the company as Associate of the first quarter of 2022 for the partnership and support shown with organizing events and supporting initiatives
- Awarded the Most improved department of the year 2021 with a Sales increase of over 400k vs
- The highest year ever of the company, breaking sales records in almost every month of the year, with higher OSAT and higher engagement of associates
- Recognized with the 2020 Circle of Excellence Award after achieving great OSAT and F&B Results due to implementing events with the activities department
Food and Beverage Manager
Marriott’s Grande Vista
08.2017 - 07.2020
- Manage the daily Bar, Restaurant, and kitchen operation of Copa Loca Bar and Grill, a 2.3 MM operation with a staff of 29 to supervise, including 2 Ops FB supervisors, 1 Lead cook, 5 Line Cooks, 5 Bartenders, and 14 servers
- Create promotions with our Recreation department for the different times of the day, looking for trends and capturing the right customers for our Weekend breakfast, lunch, and dinner offerings
- Control of Par levels in our bar and satellite pool bars and in charge of approving all bar and Restaurant-related purchases to make sure rules are in place
- Implemented the revamp of our Wireless waiting program, achieving over 120k in 2018 and over 150k in 2019, helping our revenue and profitability of the department
- Oversee talent acquisition processes for front and back of the house together with Operation supervisors to ensure that the best candidates are selected to be part of our team
- Improved Copa Loca satisfaction from 86.5% to 87.3% in 2018 and remained in the 87% range in 2020, 3% over the brand average
- Advanced knowledge of Menu Engineering and maximizing profit through an accurate strategy of Sales and Marketing
- Reduced controllable expense by 25% after the hotel started a contingency plan, exceeding the forecasted savings in all bars and restaurants by 12%
Director of Bars and Restaurants
Panama Marriott hotel & Casino
06.2014 - 02.2016
- Manage the daily Bars and Restaurant operations with five outlets and a total staff of 62 to supervise, including four Restaurant Supervisors, 2 Assistant Restaurant Managers, and a Restaurant Administrative assistant who oversees the beverage Storeroom of the hotel
- Create promotions with our Marketing Manager for the different outlets of the hotel, looking for trends and capturing the right customers for our sports bar, coffee/deli shop, fine dining restaurant, and Great Room Lobby bar
- Keep control of Par levels in all outlets and the main FB storeroom and approve all bar and Restaurant related purchases to ensure controls are in place
- In charge of Implementing and conducting GSS and Ops meetings two times a day with all Ops Managers to verify comments, complaints, and preferences from our guests and act upon them
- Coordinated talent acquisition for all Bar and Restaurants together with Assistant managers to ensure that the best candidates were selected to be part of our team
- Responsible for Improving Food and Beverages service score in Guest voice by almost 7pts so far in 2015
- Advanced knowledge of Menu Engineering and maximizing profit through an accurate strategy of Sales and Marketing
Director of Bars and Restaurants
JW Marriott “El Convento”
04.2013 - 05.2014
- Managed the daily Bars and Restaurant operations with a total staff of 23 to supervise, including two Restaurant Supervisors and an Events Supervisor
- Create promotions to sell within the local market and in-house guests
- Keep control of Par levels in the bar and main FB storeroom and be in charge of approving all FB purchases to make sure rules are in place
- Ensured smooth coordination between the back-end and front-end activities
- Interviewed, hired, and trained personnel to work in a restaurant environment
- The restaurant achieved Second place in Restaurant Service (2013) within all the JW Marriott in the Cala Region, first place in Bar Service (2013), and First place in Breakfast Service (2013)
- Achieved 100% Engagement Satisfaction
- Successfully exceeded forecasted sales by more than 20% in Q4 2014 and decreased expenses by 14% to maximize profit in F&B
Education
Bachelor’s degree - Hotel Management, major in Sales and Marketing
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre Y Maestra
Dominican RepublicCulinary Certificate -
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
Skills
- Food and beverage operations
- Cost control
- Menu development
- Wine pairing
- Service delivery management
- Coaching and mentoring
Accomplishments
- Awarded Manger of the Year in 2020 among 67 other leaders at the Marriott's Grande Vista.
- Awarded Most Improved Team in 2021 at the Fountains Resort
- 2 Times nominated for the Circle of Excellence Award for Manager of the Year for Bluegreen Vacations
- Best Partner Award by The Bluegreen S&M South Division
Professionalstudiesandcertifications
- SERV Safe Certification, Orange Lake Resort, 04/01/24, 04/01/29
- Leadership Connections, Marriott’s Grande Vista, 2018
- AAA 5 Diamond and AAA 4 Diamond Experience, 2015
- Foundations of Leadership, Marriott Panama, 10/01/14
- Effective Training Skills, JW Marriott Lima, 2013
- Behavioral Interviews Certification, Marriott Curacao, 2011
- Wine Connoisseur and Basics of Sommelier, Dominican Republic, 2009
- Essential Skills for Managers and Supervisors, Renaissance Jaragua, 2008
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Papiamento
Professional Working
Portuguese
Limited Working
Dutch
Elementary
Taskforceexperience
- JW Marriott & CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Complex, 07/01/15 - 08/01/15, 900
- Marriott Aruba and Vacation Club complex, 05/01/15, 1600
- JW Marriott & CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Complex, 04/01/15, 900
References
References available upon request.
Certification
- ServSafe Food Handler's Certification
- TIPS
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeWork Location
On-SiteRemoteHybridImportant To Me
Career advancementWork-life balancePersonal development programsTeam Building / Company RetreatsStock Options / Equity / Profit SharingCompany CulturePaid time offInterests
Basketball
Gym life
Motivational books
Timeline
Senior Food and Beverage Manager
ORANGE LAKE RESORT BY HOLIDAY INN CLUB VACATIONS
03.2023 - Current
Property Food and Beverage Manager
THE FOUNTAINS RESORT BY BLUEGREEN VACATIONS
07.2020 - 03.2023
Food and Beverage Manager
Marriott’s Grande Vista
08.2017 - 07.2020
Director of Bars and Restaurants
Panama Marriott hotel & Casino
06.2014 - 02.2016
Director of Bars and Restaurants
JW Marriott “El Convento”
04.2013 - 05.2014
Culinary Certificate -
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
Bachelor’s degree - Hotel Management, major in Sales and Marketing
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre Y Maestra
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