Madison Turner

Job Description and Responsibilities:

• Scheduling Manager - Creating and publishing weekly Front of House and Back of House schedules, assuring proper rotation and placement based on business levels, projected sales, and staff skill sets. Guaranteeing that overtime is kept to a minimum, and is approved when necessary, overseeing staff time-off requests, and coverage. Ensuring that all private and contracted events are adequately staffed with qualified team members. Creating a comprehensive programming calendar that tracks all events, festivals, shows, and conventions in the surrounding area that may affect business levels, and thus scheduling.
• Hiring Manager- Identifying the need for a hire weeks in advance when possible. Requesting that ads be posted to multiple platforms. Fielding all resumes and applications, and calling in to schedule interviews with all qualified applicants. Leading professional interviews and ensuring that prospective team members are able to fulfill job requirements, have the required availability, and will fit in well with the restaurant culture. Hiring and onboarding of all new team members, going over all paperwork, including tax documents, a thorough review of the Handbook and Policies, and securing a training schedule that guarantees the new hires' exposure to all aspects of their job role and responsibilities.
• Administrative Manager- Reconciling the petty cash drawer, ensuring that all incoming and outgoing petty funds have been placed and logged correctly. In-depth review of all checkout reports and tip-out logs to confirm all employees were paid and tipped out accurately, and correcting them if done otherwise. Seeing to it that all employee documents are filed and archived appropriately, as well as ensuring that all necessary certifications and qualifications are up to date. Making sure all printable menus, checkout slips, and other printed collateral are correct, kept current, in stock, and available for service. Organizing and managing POS systems to ensure ease of use, including updating menu items, buttons, and prices.
• Training and Continuing Education- Maintained and managed all training materials. Revamped the entire training program, which includes training material, checklists, quizzes with a coordinating answer key, and informative charts, including allergen guides and wine profiles. Primary trainer for all new staff, including POS best practices, a review of the handbook and policies, a review of the steps of service and expectations for each position, and a review of all menu knowledge and upselling best practices. Created and updated training materials on a regular basis. Help set goals with management to maintain staff knowledge through various initiatives, including meetings, all-staff meetings, contests, and announcements.
• Programming New Applications- During my tenure, I transitioned the restaurant management software company from Upserve to Toast. This required a complete re-entry of every menu item and modification into the new system. I also switched our scheduling software from 7shifts to Sling. Updating all employee information and electronically filing all employee certifications so that future management will be alerted if they have expired. Lastly, throughout my last year there, I worked on programming XtraChef, a restaurant management platform that provides financial and operational insights to improve productivity and profits.
• Bar Development & Menu Creation- Starting from scratch, I developed a comprehensive 'Bar Book' that collected all house recipes, specialty cocktails, classic cocktails, and other popular cocktail recipes, and presented them by category and spirit, including ingredients and proportions, glassware, garnish and specified ice, and step-by-step preparation details. Other items included in 'Bar Book' were prep recipes for any of our house-made ingredients, pars for the barback for fresh juices and garnishes for each day of the week, and exhaustive checklists for opening and closing duties. Essentially, it is an encyclopedia of knowledge and responsibilities required of bartenders to facilitate further growth, get up to speed, and manage expectations. In addition, a separate book was created for our current wine list, featuring thorough details, including tasting notes, vineyards, and history, as well as a concise chart that made all the most critical information readily available to team members for increased sales. This information was also stored in our POS, so servers had it available at their fingertips via handheld devices. To produce and curate our house cocktail menu, I created a diverse range of flavor profiles, including herbaceous, spirit-forward, effervescent, aromatic, bitter, and balanced. Small details were pulled from the establishment’s rich history and eclectic food menu to help create a fully well-rounded experience. Cocktail sales immediately increased. Cocktail specials were also cultivated and presented weekly. Sometimes I created them, sometimes we would try out an inspiring recipe, and sometimes I would ask our bartenders to build their own to feature, which helps keep creativity and excitement present within our program.
• Bar Inventory & Ordering- Maintaining a weekly inventory of alcohol and bar goods. Tracking sales of each category on a weekly basis. Processing all orders for the bar while staying within a monthly budget. Tracking the weekly and monthly costs of goods. Maintaining ongoing relationships and lists of all vendors. Keeping a record of all invoices and orders. Creating and maintaining organizational systems in all stock areas to keep areas tidy, and items easy to find. Stocking all incoming orders to ensure that items have arrived in their specified quantities.

Job Description and Responsibilities:

• Event Sales Director/Coordinator- Fielded all inquiries that came in through our Parties event form, phone call, or email as quickly as possible, and no more than 24 hours after the inquiry was made. Walked guests through space, food and beverage options, and event packaging. Directed potential hosts toward the most suitable space for their event, with consideration of operations as usual. Calculated quote that adhered to policies determined by senior management. I communicated with management to ensure availability and that no loss or maximum gain is incurred by holding a private event during business hours, and I offered special programming and menu curation. Rented any necessary AV rental or equipment from vendors and created a banquet event order with all details to be signed by the host. Once a deposit had been run, the BEO was sent to the team for execution. Sent reminders to the team in the weeks leading up to the event, and a reminder text to the Chef/Beverage Director on the day of. Produced a weekly report that reviewed the status of all inquiries that came through the streams throughout the week.
• Event execution- Remained on site from setup until closeout on the day of the event to ensure event quality and execution of contract details. Welcomed hosts and supplied any information and/or assistance necessary. Filled in where help was needed, whether it was taking drink orders, passing hors d’oeuvres, running drinks, etc. Continuously communicated with kitchen staff and called orders for food, with consideration of headcount and consumption, so that all guests were satiated, and no food product was wasted or ran out before the end of the event. Sometimes, the contract was extended while the event was in progress. I was there to negotiate pricing and ensure that the host, staff, and management were in complete compliance with the updated arrangement. This involved creating a revised contract, conducting a closing check, and thanking the hosts.
• Event Sales Development- Worked closely with Senior Management to ensure that pricing capitalized on potential gains and renegotiated pricing on a case-by-case basis when seasonal factors, clients’ budgets, and/or availability may cause a reason to reduce pricing. Updated event menus with new, seasonal fare and/or pricing. Created content to showcase events with The Esquire Tavern/Downstairs, i.e., photographs of event space, hors d'oeuvres, and atmosphere. Continuously refined practices to improve operations, increase the sales of events, and update policies.
• Social Media Director/Coordinator- Created social media posts for both Facebook and Instagram from content gathered at scheduled shoots. This included selecting photos and producing captions. Scheduled with FOH and BOH staff for shoots, so that all involved parties are present and come prepared.
• Art Director- Worked closely with our photographer to ensure quality shoots that stayed on task and captured relevant content for use in social media and press. Decided on relevant content to promote, and reached out to Senior Management to learn about new developments or new product arrivals that needed to be photographed and promoted. Staged photoshoots and offered critical feedback to ensure that quality and the intended aesthetic were captured.
• Reputation Management/Guest Relations Manager- Responded to all online reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor as quickly as possible, no more than 24 hours after they were published, and alerted senior management to any review that fell to 3 stars or below; responded to messages sent through Yelp and Facebook.
• Website Maintenance- Updated Tavern website with relevant press releases. Updated menus on the backend of The Esquire Tavern website when new menus were rolled out, pricing was changed, etc. Ensured that all platforms showcasing our menu were updated.