Carl Courchesne

Company Overview: Fashionable upmarket steakhouse part of Black Rock restaurant group based in Brighton with 5 restaurants and growing. Reporting directly into the Operations Director and owner, hands on role overseeing operations of the London branch with the prospect of new openings in the UK.

• Weekly sales of up to 80K
• Restaurant capacity: 120 covers
• Directed day-to-day work of 50 BOH & FOH employees and motivated teams to exceed objectives.
• Increase sales over the holiday period by 28%
• Increase guest's feedback and reviews from an average of 3.6 to 4.8 stars.
• Managed up to 30 events a week.
• Improved staff retention with robust HR policies and procedures. Best in the company.
• Oversaw all aspects of daily operations, ensuring smooth running of the organisation.
• Leads weekly managers meeting overseeing financial, recruitments, training needs, reservations, feedbacks, reviews, maintenance issues, goals and strategy.
• Review of all operations with the aim to streamline systems ahead of expansion
• Monthly review of P&L and analysis
• Development of wine and cocktail list
• Training and coaching initiative with team developing sales technics, food & drinks knowledge and psychology of dinners
• Partnered with management team to optimise operations and reduce costs.
• Maintained agile, responsible organisation with sustained revenue growth by monitoring industry forecasts, honing budgets and adjusting marketing strategies.
• Created and led successful business culture focused on performance.
• Developed key operational initiatives to drive and maintain substantial business growth.
• Maintained organisational compliance with applicable legislation and regulations.
• Recruited and managed senior staff with focus on delivering clear results.
• Established a positive work environment which promoted staff morale and productivity.
• Regularly reviewed performance data, driving continuous improvement efforts.
• Maintained compliance with industry regulations at all times.
• Managed large-scale events from initial planning to successful completion.

Company Overview: From quality tapas bar to elevated dining room, award winning celebrity Chef Jose Pizarro operates 5 restaurants in London showcasing the finest Spanish cuisine. Reporting directly to José Pizarro and Operations Director, hands on role overseeing all 5 restaurants leading General Managers and their teams to achieved financial targets and service excellence.

• Group weekly sales of up to £300k.
• Managed various team across the group of up to 160 employees.
• 5 restaurants with total capacity of up to 360 covers.
• Lead weekly managers meeting overseeing financial, recruitments, training needs, reservations, feedback, reviews and maintenance issues
• Lead monthly trade reviews in each restaurant
• Identified and resolved operational issues impacting productivity, performance or profitability
• Liaise with owner and marketing team with event development
• Trained, developed and managed staff to company standards in all aspects of their roles.
• Created new 5-day induction program for new employees
• Oversaw all aspects of daily operations, ensuring smooth running of the organisation.
• Ensured that Health and safety and other regulatory procedures were correctly maintained, monitored and recorded
• Achieved customer satisfaction with regular feedback and improvement sessions.
• Built high-performing teams to achieve organisational objectives.
• Improved staff retention with robust HR policies and procedures.
• Established budgets based on historical, current and forecasted business data.
• Co-ordinated private functions, weddings and celebrity events.
• Created collaborative work environment for positive team dynamics.
• Analysed performance metrics, identified areas for improvement in operations management.
• Fostered culture of continuous learning, improved workforce competency levels.

Company Overview: Independently owned modern Middle Eastern restaurant group located in Southwark and Soho.

• I was brought in to enhance the service quality and operations at Bala Baya, transforming it from a café into a sought-after dining destination essentially transforming a challenging location into one to discover doubling the revenue within 18 months.
• Spent over two years preparing for the launch of the second restaurant in Soho, actively scouting locations and coordinating with real estate agents and landlords.
• Weekly sales of up to 120k
• Capacity totalling 250 seats
• Manage team of 85 over 2 restaurants including BOH, FOH and event team.
• Part of the creative process liaising with designer, architect, and branding company, website building with Search Engine Optimization SEO, etc
• Liaised with owner, interior architect, designer, project managers, contractors, and landlords during building phase
• Managed all selection and recruitments with all HR responsibilities
• Wrote all training manuals and coached managers and team preparing for the opening
• Selected and negotiated contracts with suppliers, POS, payment processing companies, laundry, etc
• Managed PR company, social media team and marketing team
• Responsible for Health & Safety, Food Safety
• Taste of London participation
• Developed new business through targeted sales techniques, leading to growth in customer base.
• Trained new employees on operational procedures, leading to increased workforce productivity.
• Delivered results under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
• Built strong relationships with customers, fostering loyalty and trust.
• Maintained compliance with industry regulations at all times.

Company Overview: Independently owned Scandinavian inspired BBQ restaurants with 2 locations in London. Reporting to the owners, I was hired to facilitate the opening of the 2nd restaurant in Islington and after 3 months, took over the operation of both restaurants

• Full financial responsibilities
• Setting up of accounts and ordering
• Health and Safety, Food Safety
• Interview and selection
• Training and development
• Marketing, PR

Company Overview: Danish owned famous sushi and robata grill restaurant with now 8 locations in London

• Running the busiest branch: 150 seat split level restaurant centrally located in Covent Garden
• Reporting directly to Operation Director, oversaw 5 restaurant managers, 1 bar manager and 4 sous-chefs with a total of 70 members of staff
• Restaurant served 3500 covers weekly
• Full financial responsibilities
• Management of budget and payroll
• Health and safety, food safety
• Interview and selection
• Training and development
• Weekly managers meeting
• Complaint management

Company Overview: Overseeing food and beverage operations in this fashionable centrally located hotel comprising of the Long Bar, Purple Bar and Suka; a 150 seats restaurant serving Malaysian cuisine and the famous Mad Hatters’ afternoon tea.

Part of the opening team for the new Delano Hotel Marrakech, Morocco; Sept 2012

• Reporting to the Operation Manager, oversaw 2 Bar Managers and 3 Restaurant Managers with a total of 65 front of house staff
• Restaurant serves 2000 covers weekly with the very busy and lively Long Bar and the resident exclusive Purple Bar
• Training, coaching and mentoring
• Public relation
• Food tasting and development
• Complaint management
• Interview and selection
• Management of budget and payroll
• Weekly managers meeting
• Staff appraisals

Company Overview: Opening team for London version of the famous New York Jean-George Vongerichten restaurant

• A 180 cover contemporary restaurant featuring a cuisine inspired by the south-east Asia centrally located between China town and Leicester Square
• Managed a team of 60 front of house staff
• Interview and selection
• Training
• The management of budget and payroll
• Weekly managers meeting
• Stock control
• Staff appraisals
• Responsible for Micros; programming and maintenance

Company Overview: A 70 cover fine dining restaurant serving contemporary French cuisine, located in the City of London at The Royal Exchange, a grade 1 listed historical building

• Successful transfer within D and D London
• My mandate here was to raise the standards of quality of service and promote the business
• Raised rank of restaurant in regards to service standard from 20th to 1st place (out of 30) after a full financial year under my management
• Responsible for health and safety for Sauterelle and the Grand Café and Bar (brasserie)
• Worked closely with PR company to raise profile of business
• Taste of London participation July 2009 and July 2010

Company Overview: 120-cover rooftop fine dining restaurant with a 44-seat terrace offering a regional French cuisine, set in an outstanding and popular location right in the heart of the City.

Company Overview: An 80-cover fine dining fashionable restaurant in Shoreditch serving a traditional Spanish and Portuguese cuisine

• Nominated at the “Time Out / Perrier” Award for best new restaurant

• Famous American Restaurant group owned by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Part of the opening training team of the Melbourne Planet Hollywood Branch as well as their new concept "All Star Cafe" also in Melbourne.