Carl Essert
(760) 814-2209 home (760) 201-5685 cell carlessert@hotmail.com
OBJECTIVE
A position as Restaurant General Manager.
QUALIFICATIONS
More than 25 years of hands-on experience in the restaurant industry with more than 20 years as General Manager in award winning fine dining, wine bar, sports bar, night club, and multi-unit restaurants. Extensive experience in both opening new restaurants and turning around troubled operations. Highly skilled in both front and back of house operations, with a strong history of increasing sales and profits and developing new revenue streams.
EXPERIENCE
Interim General Manager Opening Consultant, May 2012 – current.
Two 40 South Restaurant, Brea, CA. Wine bar / restaurant. Managed a staff of 40 front and back of house personnel. Revitalized entire wine program, improving inventory and pricing. Reeducated staff in proper wine serving techniques for a fine dining establishment. Successfully resolved numerous human resource issues.
• Increased wine profits by 10% by creating new pricing matrix, proper inventory turnover, wine list menu engineering, and negotiating with vendors.
Chandlers, Carlsbad, CA. Opened this 3 meal a day flagship restaurant. Developed wine / beverage & cocktail programs for the entire restaurant and resort. Hired and trained a staff of 50 and prepared job descriptions. Wrote restaurant standard operating procedures and developed accounting methodology. Worked with construction team and managed numerous change orders. Opened restaurant and continued as consultant to ensure proper operation of all systems and personnel.
Additional experience as short term consultant for high profile restaurants during employment breaks, including Opening Donovan’s Prime Seafood, and Stingaree restaurant, and similar establishments.
Clubhouse 66, Glendora, CA, Aug 2011 – May 2012.
General Manager for this sports bar restaurant. Reworked entire accounting package. Developed a new marketing plan utilizing social media. Created special events (banquets, happy hour, ladies night, cigar night, etc.) that substantially increased sales margins and profits.
Miami Grill, San Diego / Poway / Temecula, CA, Jun 2008 – Mar 2011.
General Manager for multiple restaurants. Managed operation of two restaurants and arranged opening of a third. Managed all accounting and purchasing. Revised menus, managed inventory, and reduced shrinkage. Re-costed all items by reviewing recipes to reduce expenses, introducing and utilizing ChefTech program. Created a new revenue stream through sales of cigars and microbrew beers. Enhanced beverage program and introduced a successful line of new cocktails. Expanded live music program, developed a reservation program, and created special events to market restaurant.
The Palm, San Diego, CA, Oct 2006 – Jan 2008.
General Manager. Recruited to turn around an unprofitable operation.
• Introduced OpenTable reservation system for the San Diego restaurant that are now being used throughout Palm’s 28 restaurants nationwide.
• Changed wine dinners to cocktail dinners and seminars and added music, drawing in a younger clientele and increasing sales and profits.
• Initiated negotiations with beverage companies based on Palm’s nationwide buying power, reducing liquor costs to all restaurants.
Donovan’s Steak and Chop House, La Jolla, CA and Phoenix, AZ, Jul 2001 – Oct 2006.
General Manager for a multi-unit operation. Recruited to resolve specific major human resource issues. Retrained entire staff, revamped entire wine program, expanded cigar program, expanded restaurant, and created additional private party space. Opened Phoenix restaurant, overseeing all construction and hiring. Worked closely with all vendors and approved all purchases. Hired staff and developed all restaurant procedures. Created a variety of new programs that increased sales and profits.
• Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence; DiRONA Award of Excellence; California Restaurant Association Best Steak House.
• Increased sales from $3 M to $9 M in three years.
• Redesigned bottled water program resulting in $24 K annual savings.
Pamplemousse Grille, Solana Beach, CA, May 1996 – July 2001.
General Manager. Opened restaurant, hired staff, selected all computer programs, and developed all restaurant procedures. Developed wine and beverage, catering, and banquet programs.
• Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence; DiRONA Award of Excellence; Zagat Guide Best Restaurant San Diego.
• Developed a catering program representing 40% of all revenue
• Created revenue streams from restaurant operations, catering, and wine sales.
Bamboo Club, Phoenix, AZ, May 1996 – Jul 2001.
General Manager. Restructured restaurant for franchising. Reorganized accounting, and created new opening and closing procedures.
• Restaurant grew to five units.
Club 411, Tempe, AZ, Nov 1993 – Oct 1995.
General Manager. Opened and ran this night club that attracted a high end sports clientele. Point person for all activities including security, public relations, promotional activities, local politicians, and police.
Christopher’s, Phoenix, AZ, Nov 1989 – Nov 1993.
General Manager. Opened restaurant and directed all operations.
• Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence; DiRONA Award of Excellence; Zagat Guide Best Restaurant
Previous experience as Night Club Manager, Tableside Cook, Captain, Special Event Coordinator, Maître d
COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Office Suite, ALOHA, MICROS, ADELO, other various restaurant POS systems, OpenTable, ChefTek, Adobe Indesign, Quickbooks, Ctuit, Enomatic System.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT / CERTIFICATIONS / AFFILIATIONS
Serve Safe Certified, FMP Food Management Professional Certification, Member Society of Wine Educators, Introductory Level Master Court of Sommeliers, BarSmarts™ Wired Certified, Former Maître de Table Sommelier Chaîne des Rôtisseurs (San Diego Chapter), Former Executive Board Member San Diego Restaurant Association
REFERENCES
Excellent personal and professional references available on request.
Download Resume below for details