Rebecca Wilkinson
Dockside-Wellington City
Montréal,Canada
1
Language
1
Certification
19
years of professional experience
Dynamic professional with a degree in Food and Culinary Arts, specializing in health and hygiene, restaurant management, and business finance. Proven track record in managing large teams across diverse venues, overseeing cash handling, financial planning, and payroll operations. Expertise in implementing health and hygiene systems and ensuring compliance with liquor licensing requirements in the UK, Melbourne, and Vancouver. Skilled in event planning and customer liaison, adept at creating tailored experiences for functions of up to 400 guests while maximizing restaurant seating and turnover. Committed to team development and delivering exceptional customer service. Organised and able to work independately, I have grown my office skills utilising a variety of computer-based programs and virtual skills with clients.
Work History
Catering Manager
1 Year 6 Months- Managing a catering department supplying large scale multi-service/day custom catering, cocktail evenings and meeting catering.
- Creating and maintaining client relationships and providing flawless service from initial inquiry through event planning, day of support, follow-ups and invoicing.
- Increase sales by finding new clients, upselling and securing event requests.
- Providing quotes and working with customer budgets.
- Assisting event organizers with support with room layout, timings, quantities and other recommendations to ensure their events run smoothly.
- Costing menus to ensure the events are profitable.
- Designing new catering menus to engage clients and keep up with trends.
- Coordinated logistics for large-scale events, including staffing, equipment, and venue arrangements.
- Creating invoices utilizing financial software and ensuring payments are made.
- Leading kitchen and front of house teams in planning and executing high-profile university events, exceeding client expectations consistently.
- Financial planning and tracking to ensure goals are met.
- Hiring, training and managing a team.
- Stock ordering and vehicle maintenance.
Events Manager
3 Years 8 Months- Providing in-venue event organization for an iconic waterfront historic restaurant and event space for up to 500 guests.
- Providing a full service from initial enquiries and venue viewing to planning a detailed event including floorplans, AV requirements, timings and bar and kitchen menus.
- Wedding planner and day-of coordinator to ensure a flawless and memorable ceremony and reception for 80 weddings.
- Oversaw on-site event management, troubleshooting issues to maintain control over the event.
- Ensuring events met my clients' budgets and liaising with day-off team regarding limits to bar tabs and any allowable extra charges.
- Creating new sales and upselling clients to increase revenue.
- Managing reservations in a popular venue and confirming bookings.
- Communicated essential information to kitchen staff to ensure smooth operations.
- Created visually appealing menu layouts using InDesign software for events.
- Website design
- Generated and sent invoices to clients for completed event services.
- Implementing feedback post-events, driving continuous improvement in service quality.
Server
10 Months- Providing knowledgeable and professional customer service (awarded bib gourmand in the first Canadian Michelin awards 2022)
- Served tables and prided myself in curating a fantastic dining experience for guests with excellent service and menu knowledge.
- High level of menu knowledge including allergens and wine pairings
- Trained in all FOH positions
- Hosting in a busy high-turnover restaurant
General Manager
7 Months- Oversaw operations of a 300-seat downtown craft beer bar and restaurant, ensuring seamless execution of music and sporting events.
- Developed and maintained a comprehensive beer list with 30 taps, alongside designing creative cocktail menus to ensure fresh offerings to clients.
- Managed and trained a team of 15 employees
- Managed and optimized budgets to support organizational financial health.
- Successfully implemented new policies and procedures to improve team efficiency
- Met with clients to discuss their needs for planning events
- Planned and coordinated events including the World cup, UFC and drag shows. Sold tickets to events and managed bookings, ordering specialty stock, creating menus and decorations.
- Administered payroll processing to ensure timely and accurate employee compensation.
- Complied with covid-19 mandates
- Handled customer feedback
General manager
1 Year 6 Months- In this role I was solely responsible for the running of a busy trendy 2 storey restaurant and event space with an increase of 800k PA and TripAdvisor increase to #1.
- Coordinating and planning 3-4 events per week for up to 350 guests and briefing the event supervisor on all requirements.
- Led staff training programs, enhancing employee skills and overall service standards.
- Bar manager creating cocktail and wine menus will ensure high profit.
- Forecasting sales and managing financials including payroll and invoicing.
- Calculating labour and cost of goods correctly to ensure the venues profitability.
- Providing excellent customer service as the face of the business and handling any issues promptly.
- Obtaining feedback and monitoring reviews and providing a great example of hospitality to my team.
- Monitoring the waitlist and floorplans to ensure maximum turnover and profits.
- Ensured staff were well trained and provided hands-on support during service.
- Worked with chefs and owner to grow the business by monitoring customer feedback and researching new products.
- Ensured liquor licensing rules were complied with.
- Processed orders and managed invoicing for supplies and inventory.
- Financial planning and payroll
Restaurant and Events Manager
1 Year 4 Months- Busy 2 storey waterfront fine dining Lebanese restaurant and event space along the bank of the Yarra river.
- Meeting with potential clients and showing them the available event spaces, our menu offerings/packages and selling the space by answering all questions with confidence and promoting our services.
- Organizing events from 20-800 guests and meeting with clients to discuss arrangements including deliveries, venue set-up, event timings and food and beverage menus.
- Creating new function menus and packages to attract new clients.
- Meeting with chefs and the event team to brief on large events.
- Running a busy restaurant ensuring a wonderful guest experience.
- Hiring and training new staff members providing in depth food and wine knowledge.
- Handling payroll, billing and financial reporting.
- Ran the FOH team creating rosters according to profit forecasts to keep within a strict budget
- Reconciled cash and credit card transactions to maintain accurate records and doing end of night and weekly financial reports.
- Processed payroll for staff, ensuring accurate and timely payments.
- Led financial management activities, including budgeting and forecasting to maximize profitability.
Venue Manager
1 Year 1 Month- Responsible for the operations of a new (one year old) growing restaurant helping push the business from 350 on Trip advisors restaurants in Melbourne to #1 and increasing Saturday night profits by 400% within 8 months.
- Responsible for staff management, hiring and training, rostering and ensuring everyone performed at high standards to ensure the business growth.
- Hosting and managing a 2hr+ waitlist to ensure maximum turnover
- Managed customer enquiries and helped them plan functions within the venue.
- Menu planning with the bar and kitchen team to ensure the restaurant was keeping up with the competition.
- Monitoring sales reports.
- Led budgeting processes, controlling operational costs while maximizing revenue through strategic planning.
- Streamlined workflows by introducing new technology systems for inventory management table management and point of sale.
Store Manager
5 Months- Oversaw operations of a high-traffic coffee shop within a bustling train station environment.
- Ensuring food and beverages are prepared to a high standard.
- Basic food preparation, serving customers in a friendly and efficient manner and making customers drinks.
- Responsible for stock control and ordering from several suppliers.
- Preparation and submission of financial reports to ensure compliance and accuracy for legal and company policy. .
- Assisted in counting cash accurately and maintaining banking records. Supported daily banking operations by ensuring proper cash handling procedures. Facilitated accurate cash deposits and withdrawals.
- Responsible for interviewing and hiring new team members and training them in-store
FoH Manager, Chartwells (Compass group)
1 Year 2 Months- Responsible for the management and development of a large team (up to 30) to ensure that the fast-paced restaurant ran effectively.
- Future planning including writing staff rotas and allowing for changes in term time/ university vacation or exam period.
- Checking a financial forecast to ensure the restaurant is meeting financial targets and planning food orders to minimise wastage.
- Keeping paperwork updated with both legal regulations and Compass guidelines and ensuring risk assessments and other health and safety records are being kept properly.
- Driving sales from customers through promotions.
- Problem solving during busy times.
- Payroll and financial reports.
Chef
1 Year- Chef during music festival seasons. My main duties involve creating high quality dishes in a difficult environment, providing three meals a day and a varied menu while crew catering, catering for up to 700 people over two week periods and ensuring health and hygiene books are kept updated.
Barista Maestro
2 Years 9 Months- Supervising a busy coffee shop
- Following company guidelines and policies.
- Ensuring health and safety requirements are followed
- Providing efficient and friendly customer service.
Manager Baxter-Storey
8 Months- Responsible for the day to day running of a hot service counter providing breakfast and lunch as well as a coffee bar with sandwich counter for a building of 600 people.
- Managed the front of house team, liaised with the chefs to ensure all food was sent out to a high standard and organised the hospitality and catering for meetings.
- Responsible for running and organising promotions and helping with events and new points of sale.
- Ordered from a range of suppliers, costed new items, handled money, performed till checks, carried out change orders and banking.
Assistant Manager
11 Months- Managed a high profit coffee store.
- Training new team members.
- Following all procedures and company guidelines.
- Serving beverages to brand standards.
Team Leader
2 Years 4 Months- Supervising the team.
- Preparing food and beverages to high standards.
- Providing great customer service.
Education
BA - Food And Culinary Arts With Hospitality Management
A levels - Food Technology, Psychology, Biology
Skills
Event Planning and Management
Salesforce
Revenue growth
Restaurant Management
Adobe InDesign and other web-based systems
Client Relationship Management
Event Coordination
Project Scheduling
Office Management
Team Training
Languages
English - Advanced
Certification
- Red Cross First Aid
- August 2021 to August 2031
- Passed basic first aid training
Timeline
Catering Manager
Aramark Concordia University
02.2025 - CurrentRead More
Events Manager
Dockside-Wellington City
12.2022 - CurrentRead More
Server
Anh and chi-Vancouver
02.2022 - 12.2022Read More
General Manager
Malone's Social Lounge and Taphouse-Vancouver
02.2021 - 09.2021Read More
General manager
Sai Woo-Vancouver
06.2019 - 12.2020Read More
Restaurant and Events Manager
Byblos Bar and Restaurant-Melbourne
01.2018 - 05.2019Read More
Venue Manager
Ho Chi Mama
11.2016 - 12.2017Read More
Store Manager
FCB Artisan Espresso Bars
02.2016 - 07.2016Read More
FoH Manager, Chartwells (Compass group)
University of Sussex
12.2014 - 02.2016Read More
Chef
Henry's Beard festival cafe
01.2014 - 01.2015Read More
Barista Maestro
Costa Coffee
09.2011 - 06.2014Read More
Manager Baxter-Storey
Thames Water
01.2011 - 09.2011Read More
Assistant Manager
Costa Coffee
02.2010 - 01.2011Read More
Team Leader
Costa Coffee
10.2007 - 02.2010Read More
The University of Brighton
BA from Food And Culinary Arts With Hospitality Management
Read More
Beaconsfield High School
A levels from Food Technology, Psychology, Biology
Read More