Samuel Etheridge

Market-Leading Operations and Audit Compliance.

• #1 in internal audits across the market, consistently scoring in the top tier for food safety, cleanliness, and operational standards.
• Ranked #5 nationwide in guest satisfaction out of all Panera cafés, driven by consistent service execution, team engagement, and operational discipline.
• Reinforced hospitality standards through daily pre-shift huddles, frontline coaching, and corrective feedback loops.
• Recognized for establishing repeatable, checklist-based systems that allow the café to perform at a high level, even in the absence of leadership.
• Partnered with regional leaders to identify audit gaps across other locations, and shared best practices to elevate market-wide consistency.

Financial Performance and Profitability.

• Increased store-level EBITDA by 5.37% year-over-year, driven by strategic labor deployment, shrink control, and proactive food cost management.
• Optimized controllable costs through targeted training and daily line walks, contributing to long-term sustainability.
• Delivered month-over-month sales growth in a mature market, supported by efficient throughput, and improved guest engagement.

Team Leadership and Development

• Developed and promoted 3+ Assistant Managers, aligning training and development plans with both business needs and personal growth goals.
• Created and implemented a leadership pipeline framework, identifying team members for shift, team lead, and future GM readiness roles.
• Built a performance-driven culture based on accountability, clear standards, and open feedback loops.

Strategic Café & Regional Support.

• Took the initiative in supporting an underperforming sister café, building a strategic support plan without overstepping boundaries, demonstrating enterprise thinking.
• Collaborated with the Director of Ops on cross-store development projects, contributing to overall regional improvement efforts.
• Recognized by leadership for proactive thinking, systems-oriented execution, and long-term leadership potential.