DAVID ARAN WOOLGAR
Toronto,ON
Summary
Experienced with strategic planning, team leadership, and operational excellence. Utilizes forward-thinking approach to drive business growth and streamline processes. Track record of fostering collaborative environments and achieving measurable results.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
General Manager
Dana Hospitality
09.2023 - 01.2025
- General manager at University of Toronto Mississauga and overseeing Dana brands and catering along with health and safety of 300 staff.
- Health & safety
- Implementing brand policies & Procedures
- HR hiring, onboarding, implementing policies
- Scheduling
- Customer and client relations
- Menu development
- Overseeing brands KPI'S
- Brands subway, Starbucks, bento sushi, Thai wok & grill, Harvey’s, Tim Horton's, second cup.
- Dana brands & catering
- Managed a diverse team of professionals, fostering a positive work environment and high employee satisfaction.
- Managed budget implementations, employee reviews, training, schedules, and contract negotiations.
- Developed and implemented strategies to increase sales and profitability.
- Cultivated strong relationships with clients, vendors, and partners to ensure long-term success and loyalty.
- Monitored financial performance, set budgets and controlled expenses to provide financial stability and long-term organizational growth.
Food Service Manager
Dana Hospitality
08.2019 - 09.2023
- Canada
- Food Service Manager Concordia University of Edmonton
- Title
- Executive Chef
- Dates Employed
- Mar2019 - Present
- Employment Duration
- 1 yr10 mos
- Location
- Jasper Sky Tram/Marmot Basin
- Executive Chef Marmot Basin and Jasper Sky Tram
- Jasper Alberta
- Title
- Chef Manager
Chef Manager
Caribou Bar and Grill
10.2017 - 10.2018
- Employment Duration
- 1 yr1 mo
- Location
- St Michaels Hospital
- Catering Manager St Michaels Hospital Toronto Ontario
- Title
- Chef Manager
- Dates Employed
- Feb2017 - Oct2017
- Employment Duration
- 9 mos
- Location
- Toronto, Canada Area
- SAS Institute Toronto Ontario
- KM
- Company Name
Chef Manager
Uncle Bettys
08.2011 - 02.2013
- Recruited by owners Samara and Robert, I was responsible for setting up the restaurant's inventory system, ordering
- Guidelines and kitchen staff responsibilities
- I developed and
- Delivered training in menu standards, meal preparation
- Cleaning, health and hygiene, stock rotation (FIFO), my duties also included creating menu specials and Profit and Loss
- Adherence through cost control
- Line work/prep/ordering/
- Opening and closing of kitchen
- Catering events on and off
- Site
- Inventory, scheduling, catering, franchise manuel
- Accountable for establishing a training needs analysis
- Development of training tools including manuals and standard
- Measurement of service levels
- Strategize training plans that will drive service excellence and support
- Brand initiatives
- Initiate, coordinate execution, evaluation and follow-up of training activities
- Within the restaurant
- Work closely with the team to prepare and manage training
- Budget
- Provide support and development of Departmental Trainers;
- And ensure
- Compliance and consistency
- See more
Operations Manager
Gourmet Burger Co
09.2009 - 08.2011
- ervice Employment Duration
- 2 yrs
- Inventory, scheduling, training multiple stores
- Implementing new training and new products from head office
- Recruited by the franchise owner, I was initially responsible for
- Recruiting, hiring, training, developing and managing the kitchen
- Staff in his concept of a "gourmet burger" experience
- Duties
- Included (but not limited to) scheduling, supervising front/back
- House staff, ensuring cleanliness, health and hygiene, ordering
- Stock rotation, inventory, customer complaints, training staff at
- Multiple locations, discipline, opening and closing of the establishment, troubleshooting
- Grill, Prep
- Production, Customer s
- Service, Handling Cash
- See more
Sous chef
Herbs Restaurant and catering
03.2002 - 09.2009
- Employment Duration
- 7 yrs7 mos
- My responsibilities were to assist and cooperate with the Executive
- Chef in all facets of Kitchen Management including: Menu
- Development (French modern), food and dry-store purchasing, food-
- Cost control, scheduling, training and development (heavy concentration on culinary co-op students), monitoring kitchen
- Employees
- I was also involved with private function organization
- Activities and promotional activities such as "Winterlicious" and
- "Summerlicious" as well as the obvious: cooking meals for a
- Discerning neighbourhood clientele who enjoyed quality and presentation.Gard, Hot apps, Sauce, Butchery, Baking, Deserts
- Tec
- Training
- See more
Kitchen Manager
Wilde Oscars
08.2001 - 02.2002
- Employment Duration
- 7 mos
- My responsibilities Included Prep, Daley specials, hiring, training
- Scheduling, ordering, disciplining kitchen staff, Busy summer patio
- Season up to1000 ppl during a day in the down town core
- Especially for Pride week and special events
- Line work, Fresh
- Pizza's, pastas and more
Head Chef
P.J. O'Brians
11.1998 - 06.2001
- Employment Duration
- 2 yrs8 mos
- The original owner of The Irish Pub Group Mr
- J Maxwell Recruited
- And sponsored me upon my arrival to Canada
- To assist him with the launching of his new Irish Gastro
- Bar in the down town core
- Involvement included kitchen design and lay out menu development on Irish fare, recruitment and
- Training of staff front and back
- Purchasing, and also partnering with the L.C.B.O magazine for off
- Site demonstrations around special events
- See more
Education
NVQ CULINARY DIPLOMA -
Butlins south coast world
Bognor Regis, West SussexSkills
- Microsoft Word
- Procurement
- Payroll
- Customer Service
- Catering
- Budgeting
- Food Safety
- Human Resources
- POS
- Forecasting
- Scheduling
- Health and safety
- Inventory Management
- Profit & Loss
- Purchasing
- Leadership and team building
- Operations management
- Inventory Management
- Profit & Loss
- Purchasing
- Leadership and team building
- Problem resolution
- Operations management
- Team player
Accomplishments
- Staffing - Worked directly with Human Resources to streamline hiring and onboarding process.
- Used Microsoft Excel to develop inventory tracking spreadsheets.
- Resolved product issue through consumer testing.
Certification
- WHMIS Certification
- Advanced food safety
Languages
English
Professional Working
Interests
- Cooking
- Sharing travel tips, recommendations, and insights with fellow enthusiasts
- I enjoy helping others and giving back to the community
- Gardening
- Growing herbs, vegetables, or fruits in home gardens
- Participate in paddle boarding and snowboarding, as recreational activities to maintain physical fitness
- Camping
- Volunteer Work
- Fundraising Events
Timeline
General Manager
Dana Hospitality
09.2023 - 01.2025
Food Service Manager
Dana Hospitality
08.2019 - 09.2023
Chef Manager
Caribou Bar and Grill
10.2017 - 10.2018
Chef Manager
Uncle Bettys
08.2011 - 02.2013
Operations Manager
Gourmet Burger Co
09.2009 - 08.2011
Sous chef
Herbs Restaurant and catering
03.2002 - 09.2009
Kitchen Manager
Wilde Oscars
08.2001 - 02.2002
Head Chef
P.J. O'Brians
11.1998 - 06.2001
NVQ CULINARY DIPLOMA -
Butlins south coast world
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