General Manager
AMIT
Total years of experience :15 years, 7 Months
Overseeing 5 Hospitality Business Units
Total staff: 184
Tara Central Kitchen
Pre opening of a 5500 square metres production kitchen comprising of 65 total staff & generating revenue of +- $40 000 monthly.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Fully responsible for Kitchen layout
• Designed the Equipment layout for each department & headed the procurement process for all equipment’s
• Created & implemented a procurement policy & in charge of signing off purchases of equipment’s, smalls & any CK related items
• Caters for a 1000 pax wedding hall, 2 blocks of serviced Apartments & staff canteen serving up to 1150 meals per day, 6 days a week
Barceló’s Central Kitchen (Existing)
Headed a $20 000 refurbishment project for the existing Central Kitchen catering for two QSR South African restaurants.
• Recruited staff inclusive of the production chefs & pastry chefs comprising of 10 total staff
• Implemented 1 Central Kitchen database & system (GAAP CK)
• Trained 8 staff inclusive of accountants on kitchen warehouse software & protocols
• Overseeing a team of 12 Staff
Barceló’s Restaurant Chain
• Headed a full refurbishment for two stores worth $70 000 & re-opened the two South African Restaurants
• Created & implemented a new menu design consisting of 45 items, added new menu items inclusive of costings & recipes
• Implemented 8 new POS system across the branches (GAAP) & trained staff
• Created & Implemented a new marketing strategy that increased sales by 38%
• Recruited & Trained a new team of a total of 55 staff members
• Revamped Alsafa Restaurant Branch from a 180 pax to a 220 pax restaurant
• Revamped Amarat Restaurant Branch from an 80 pax to a 120 pax restaurant.
• Implemented delivery service across both stores and integrated delivery with 3rd party businesses to increase market reach
• Liaise with departmental managers to ensure smooth running of the operations
• Generated revenues of $30 000 to $35 000 monthly.
Tara Apartments
• Overseeing a fully serviced 30 bedroom apartment block comprising of 2 kitchens, 1 restaurant (30 pax), 1 cafe (20 pax), a business centre & 2 boardrooms capable of accommodating up to 20 delegates each.
• Ensured compliance with statutory laws & regulations as well as training department heads on compliance
• Developed innovative means for capturing new streams of revenue through property amenities
• Identified operational inefficiencies & proposed improvements
• Streamlined spending analysis to a more accurate, efficient & automated process
• Supplied necessary industry & market research to target new business
• Maintained general book keeping & updated financial records accordingly & liaised closely with the accounting department
• The business comprises of 20 staff members and mainly catered for the British Council, the German embassy and NGO's.
Omdurman Farm
• Overseeing the management of a 20 000 square metre farm consisting of greenhouses and hydroponic systems.
• Catering mostly for in house businesses with products ranging from peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, rocket to carrots.
• Coordinated with an expat Farm manager comprising of 20 staff.
HQ Staff Canteen
• Proposed staff meals to be served from the CK & guided the production team to implement a delivery service to the businesses thereby cutting down the group expenses by $7 560 a month
• Overseeing the daily meals sent from the Tara Central kitchen to staff on a daily basis serving up to 1150 meals per day.
• All meals are pre made and delivered to the staff canteen. This business comprises of 12 total staff.
• Spearheaded the operations as GM, analysed the business & proposed a strategy that turned it into a profitable business.
• Headed the R1 650 000 refurbishment project to upgrade the establishment, this included opening of a new 80sqm kitchen, a new 300 pax conference centre with state of the art Audio Visual equipment’s, upgrade of the bars and fully in charge of marketing & the P&L of the business.
• Liaised with municipal officials to obtain a night club licence whereby we operate one of the conference centres as a Night Club four times every month (each Saturday) for only exclusive events such as Jack Daniels, Brutal Fruit, Castle lite & many others which bring in an average revenue of R55 000 for the night, most of the contracts signed off with SAB.
• Partnered & coordinated with guest Dj's to perform live which increased our customer base by 18%
• Headed the pre opening of a brand new restaurant “King's Palate" that has a capacity of 50 guests, collaborated with the municipal to have the mayor and officials attend the official opening whom became frequent guests.
• Coordinated with the executive Chef & a food stylist to create a new menu,
• Hired staff that included 1 expat Executive Chef, 1 F&B manager & 2 Duty managers
• Increases revenue from an average of R326 000 to R920 000 / month
• Assessed the labour payroll & coordinated with HR to decrease labour costs down from 44.43% to 22.05%
• Decreased the food COS% from 42% to 31.6% via new menu development & costings as well as implemented a strict stock taking policy
• Decreased beverage COS% from 41% to 26% through strict inventory management
• Revamped 4 B&B rooms which increased the occupancy rate
• Established a beer garden that accommodated upto 40 pax
• The establishment currently has 2 restaurants (40 & 50 pax), 2 bars (150 pax), 40 pax beer garden, a casino, a lounge area, 2 large squash courts & 3 conference centres that could accommodate 300, 200 & a 50 pax as well as 9 B&B rooms.
• Coordinated with DISTELL & implemented a cocktail menu and a wine list
• Upgraded the POS system from “IQ" to “Pilot" and trained staff
• Introduced a weekly service training schedule for staff
• Achieved to be the highest seller for SAB kegs in Eastern Cape, sold an average of 28 kegs (50 litres) a week
• The total staff members were 32
• Created a continuation strategy for the business with clear direction which included upgrade of the rooms and additional 10 B&B rooms to be built and forecasted revenues for the owners prior to leaving
The Royal Palace Hotel, a 5 star luxury hotel in Juba, South Sudan offers exquisite hospitality, world-class cuisine and a wealth of elegance and service. The selection of luxurious accommodation includes suites and contemporary rooms, the hallmark of warm hospitality and attentive service. The hotel offers an elegant restaurant and two bars to indulge even the most discerning palate with fine cuisine and beverages. Royal Palace Hotel offers the ultimate in luxury for leisure and business options.
Selected accolades received to date:
1. Awarded as US Embassy most secure hotel in South Sudan
2. Awarded a contract for UN Women & UNMISS worth $25000 / month for accommodation & conferences
3. Awarded a contract for MediSans & UNICEF worth $ 35000 / month for accommodation & conferences
4. Awarded a contract for Democracy International & USAID worth $55000 / month for accommodation & conferences
• Part of the EXCO team & fully responsible for the operation
• Coordinated with GM & Designers to create 59 luxurious rooms inclusive of executive suites
• Pre opened an 80 pax Restaurant that included a live cooking station, a 50 pax terrace, a classic upmarket bar that seated 80 & a pool bar that seated 100
• Developed conference packages and pre opened a 200 pax state of the art conference centre, a 15 pax executive boardroom and implemented a conference management software
• Coordinated and headed the opening of a luxurious wellness centre with a gym, a spa and a retail outlet.
• Assessed the market and proposed a marketing strategy to provide the hotel with a clear direction
• Trained the Rooms Division and F&B division prior to opening
• Guided & mentored the heads of departments daily & followed up with all HOD's
• Highly involved in the housekeeping, costing, hygiene and standards of the hotel
• Liaised with many NGO's, created packages for NGO's and private companies to secure accommodation and conference contracts
• Registered hotel on various OTA (Online travel agencies) and headed the weekly special packages to attract more revenue into the hotel
• Directly managed 30 staff members and indirectly managed 25 staff members
• Created departmental reports for GM on a weekly basis
• Maintained 90% average room occupancy
• Oversaw daily front desk operations, maintenance, F&B & housekeeping operations
• Acted as GM in his absence
• Met & greeted clients daily & ensured the team exceeded there expectations
• Contributed to the hotel by suggesting various promotional ideas & implementing them
• Oversaw a 50 sq metre herb garden that supplied the hotel with fresh daily herbs from basil, thyme, dill, parsley, rosemary & chives.
• Hotel generated revenues of $300 000 to $620 000 a month
Selected accolades received to date:
• First LNG plant opened in East Africa (exploration phase)
• Various written positive client appraisals submitted to Country GM
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• Recruited by ex GM from Coastlands umhlanga to head up a project for Schlumberger oil (France) & later as pre opening project manager for British Gas (UK)
• Designed exceptional menus to cater for foreign clientele, and ensuring the company budgeted COS% is constantly maintained
• Established KPI for the project and ensured entire team achieved the set targets
• Constantly motivated the staff & ensured I provided resources to enable them to work effectively throughout
• Created reports on a weekly & monthly basis
• Increased clients satisfaction score by 23%
• Created risk analysis reports and advised country manager accordingly
• Trained the service staff and ensured service standards are exceeded
• Performed daily HSE risk assessments for the project & designed strategies to reduce illnesses, injuries and environmental accidents that may affect public safety which resulted in maintaining a “0” accident free work environment.
• Directly managed 35 staff members and indirectly managed 80 to 100 staffs dependent on client requirements.
Selected accolades received:
1. Largest QSR in East Africa surpassing all other existing QSR (Big Square) now standing at +15 large stores
2. First Tanzanian local inspired QSR (Bongo Flava)
Big Square:
A casual dining restaurant serving locally sourced, SQUAREMADE burgers, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, beer, wine and delicious desserts and hand-spun shakes.
Bongo Flava:
Fun, friendly exceptional concept that served each meal in less than 3 minutes! First Tanzanian-inspired and locally-based fast food chain.
TZ & Kenya responsibilities:
• Built franchises from scratch coordinating with architects, designers & 40 contractors
• Liaised with food stylists & photographers to create a sensational & upmarket brand & bold look
• Overseeing both Tanzania franchises & Kenyan franchises and directly managing the area management team that comprised of 10 managers & 160 staff members
• Pre opened the first two franchises in Kenya from ground to operations thereafter went to Tanzania to open the franchises
• Created & implemented a successful delivery system in both Kenya & Tanzania
• Implemented the first drive thru in Tanzanian history
• Constantly motivated the team to exceed targets whilst maintaining consistent upmarket customer service
• Focussed daily on increasing the positive customer feedback and ensured all staff were focussed on this as a daily objective
• Ensured top quality start up for new stores and employees through a detailed training program that I implemented across the branches
• Performed store evaluations and created action plans to consistently improve the operations from the COS%, reduction of expenses and increase of revenue through various marketing strategies that I created after analysing the local market trends
• Monitored inventory levels daily and ensured a strict inventory control program is adhered to on a daily basis
• Average store turnover in Kenya: $53 000 / month
• Average store turnover in Tanzania: $45 000 / month
Featuring 154 guest rooms and suites, including a Penthouse and Presidential suite, as well as 18 Fairmont Heritage Place villas & an 18 hole golf course with various F&B outlets. A 5 star rated establishment.
Selected accolades received to date:
1. 3 x Memory Maker Awards (achieved all 3 in less than 12 months)
2. 1 x Star of the month award (employee of the month)
3. Enhanced the clarity of expenses per outlet & implemented a cost control programme, trained managers to maintain this to ensure these standards were met at all times across the four outlets. This programme reduced the each outlets cost by 8% - 12%
4. Within two months, reorganized & streamlined the operations through analysing the hotels market data and demographics per outlet.
5. Ensured Fairmont Standards were met and maintained through all the outlets at ball times. All KPI’s were met and had a compliance score of 85% average through the four Food & Beverage outlets taking Zimbali Resort being ranked in top 25 Fairmont Hotels in the world for the Food & Beverage departments.
Headed the outlets, directly managed 8 managers and oversaw a total compliment of 120 staffs.
Fully accountable for the P&L for these outlets and managed monthly revenue of R1.2 million off season and up to R1.9 million during peak season.
• Coral Tree Restaurant - 300 seat all day dining restaurants offering both ala carte, themed nights & breakfasts buffet for guests & residents.
• 31 Degrees - 80 seater cocktail Bar that hosted many corporate functions
• Dalchini - 50 seat Lobby Lounge specialising in High Tea
• In Room Dining & Refreshment Centre - Busy 24 hour service catering for 154 Hotel rooms, 24 Villas &18 heritage places
• Conference Centre - up to 2 500 delegates (constantly assisted with Banquets)
Selected accolades received to date:
1. 3 promotions received within a one year period
• Initially hired as deputy banqueting manager, was quickly promoted to restaurant and bars manager and thereafter assistant F&B manager.
• Managed 9 banqueting venues & 4 breakaway rooms, 2 boardrooms all capable of accommodating 1200 delegates
• Fully involved with PCO's and main contact between PCO's and F&B manager
• Part of the pre opening team for a new conference centre situated on 11th floor
• Managed the main Saffron restaurant & ensured impeccable guest service & satisfaction
• Constantly trained staff and monitored inventory daily
• Monitored Cost of sales and ensured breakage and expenses are kept to a minimum
• Managed 120 staff members inclusive of casual workers
Often referred to as one of Durban’s best kept secrets, this hidden gem boasts 12 beautifully decorated bedrooms designed with a serene and luxurious feel. There’s a decidedly Eastern influence in the hotel’s décor and the magnificent koi ponds, brushed stainless steel and wood finishes is carried through in the antique Chinese wall art and décor pieces found throughout the hotel.
Selected accolades received to date:
1. Best 5 Star Boutique Hotel in South Africa 2010 AA Indaba
2. Worlds Luxury Award
3. Luxury Travel Guide Global Award
4. Best of Durban Award & Experts Choice Award
5. Booking.com 2011 winner
• Head hunted by a regular customer of the engine room restaurant, Lynn Van wyk (Owner) & got offered a position as Deputy General Manager reporting to the Managing Director / GM
• Responsible for Hotel operations and overseeing entire F&B and Rooms division
• Involved in marketing & sales and coordinated with the sales manager
• Highly involved in outside upmarket catering specifically for high class clientele
• Underwent constant training in all aspects of training through the Protea Hotel training programme & Africa pride training program
• Dealt directly with PCO's
A vibrant modern venue, The Engine room proffers contemporary cuisine in a sleek and trendy setting.
Elegantly infused with a contemporary twist yet undeniably chic, the Engine Room entices with luxurious seating and crisp white linen for a seductive take on fine dining.
Selected accolades received to date:
1. Top 10 Restaurants KZN
2. Top 20 Restaurants Dining Out
3. 3 x Platinum Wine Awards
4. Barista Award KZN
5. Best Cappuccino KZN
6. Food & Wine Best Breakfast Award
• Started off as a head waiter and trained by Monique Kurvers (Executive Chef & Owner)
• Shortly promoted to Restaurant General Manager
• Managed a staff compliment of 12
Blue Strawberry is the leading caterer in Durban, well established with an impeccable reputation, having catered at both corporate events and private functions for more than twenty years our continued success is extraordinary.
Stephen joined the Blue Strawberry at age 15 and worked as a part time waiter during events on weekends & after school. In 2008 he was promoted to be one of the Head Barmen.
Certificate in restaurant management