Zachary George

Don Pulento's is a takeaway and delivery food business launched in March 2021, featuring a unique, self-developed Mexican food brand. Since opening, we've been serving customers through three major food delivery platforms and proudly earned ‘Local Legend’ status on Just Eat within our first year.

It is currently operating five days a week with a dedicated team of five staff, the business generates an annual turnover of approximately £250,000. Recently, we’ve expanded our presence by taking over the kitchen and restaurant operations at a local village pub, allowing us to offer our dishes in a full dine-in experience.

My experience from this includes:

• Streamlined staff rotas to optimise efficiency
• Create and launch trend-driven menu additions, including popular items like frappés, matcha lattes, and Dubai chocolate milkshakes
• Developed relationships with suppliers for better stock control and profitability
• Trained new staff to uphold our high standards in quality and food safety compliance
• Collaborate with platform managers to increase sales via loyalty programs and paid advertising campaigns
• Achieve multiple 5* Food Safety and Hygiene inspections with EHO
• Monitor and report weekly sales performance via our EPOS software and third-party ordering platforms
• Develop strong customer relations by providing direct support in-store and online, including responding to feedback and resolving order issues promptly
• Achieved and upheld ‘Local Legend’ status on Just Eat by meeting key performance indicators consistently
• Plan and implement social media promotions to strengthen brand presence and generate higher sales
• Develop and design the menu, ensuring alignment with brand identity and customer preferences

In addition to our takeaway brand, we operate a high-output catering trailer used at local events, providing an additional revenue stream. We learned to manage the trailer from the previous owners and subsequently took on full responsibility for its upkeep, performance, and events management. Throughout these events, I have maintained separate 5* Food Hygiene and Gas Certifications, while strategically planning each event to maximize sales within a short timeframe. This role presented significant operational challenges, particularly on weekends where we achieved over £13k in revenue in just three days, all whilst ensuring that the takeaway service remained fully operational and under control.

This demonstrates my ability to manage multiple operations successfully and showcases my adaptability in tackling new challenges across various areas of the hospitality industry.

Key skills developed through this experience include:

• Organised complex logistics to ensure smooth running of events.
• Oversaw set-up and breakdown of our trailer pitch to maintain a professional and organised workspace.
• Maintained inventory, reducing stock shortages.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction by providing excellent service.
• Delegated tasks to team members, enhancing productivity.
• Implemented safety procedures in compliance with regulations.
• Created weather-dependent promotions to win the customer's trade over competitors (ie Iced Coffee for warm weather events)

Over the past ten years, my dad has owned a Cafe2U franchise based in the Midlands. Growing up in this environment from ages 12 to 15, I was immersed in the coffee business, assisting with daily stock replenishment and cash handling, while recording both daily and weekly sales. From the age of 15, I became more hands-on, supporting my dad at local events by preparing coffees/frappe's/milkshakes, serving customers, managing payments, restocking supplies, and ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction. While these tasks may seem simple, they have played a crucial role in developing my strong work ethic and dedication, no matter where my journey takes me.

This experience has equipped me with the following skills:

• Barista trained in making 'a proper' coffee!
• Streamlined order taking process, reducing wait times for customers' convenience.
• Managed high volume orders during peak hours maintaining quality of service.
• Demonstrated proficiency in operating espresso machines with precision and care.
• Ensured customer satisfaction by providing top-quality coffee and beverages.
• Warmly greeted and served customers, promptly processing payments to minimise wait times.
• Monitored inventory levels, preventing stock shortfalls.

My first job after completing my GCSEs was at McDonald’s. In recognition of my strong performance and reliability to work, I was promoted to Crew Trainer at the age of 17 within six months of working.

In this role, I was responsible for:

• The training and onboarding of new crew members
• Creating a positive working environment by promoting teamwork and cooperation
• Sub-managing sectors of the business to ensure optimal speed and efficiency
• Regular individual assessments to ensure compliance with Mcdonald's procedures
• Specific equipment maintenance tasks and cleaning (ie Coffee Machines / Shake Machines)
• High standards of customer service and engagement
• Supported staff to achieve shift targets such as service times or waste minimisation