Herby Hunter
Auckland,Northland
Summary
Proven leader in high-volume dining, I excelled at Giraffe Restaurant by mentoring staff and enhancing guest relations, significantly improving service efficiency. Expert in wine pairings and food safety compliance, my adaptive learning and strong communication skills led to a notable increase in customer satisfaction and referrals.
I'm a flamboyant high energy individual who entertains my guests while efficiently upselling and overall offers a memorable experience.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Waiter
First Mates Last Laugh
04.2024 - 07.2024
- Mentored junior waitstaff to improve their skills and maintain a high standard of service, resulting in a more cohesive team.
- Shared knowledge of menu items and flavors, enabling customers to make personal decisions based on taste and interest.
- Served as a liaison between kitchen staff and guests regarding dietary restrictions or special requests ensuring a pleasant dining experience for all.
- Monitored dining rooms for seating availability as well as service, safety, and well-being of guests.
- Facilitated clear communication between the front-and back-of-house teams, improving overall restaurant efficiency.
- Supervised set up of banquet food stations and coordinated service to multiple dining areas.
- Checked identification for minimum age for sale of alcoholic beverages.
- Supervised dining table set-up to prepare for diversity of event types, following strict service standards.
- Coordinated with kitchen staff to ensure timely delivery of orders while maintaining food quality standards.
- Provided exceptional wine pairing recommendations that enhanced the guests'' culinary experience.
- Displayed enthusiasm and promoted excellent service to customers, successfully increasing referrals, and walk-in business.
- Applied comprehensive knowledge of wine, cider, and beer to increase daily beverage sales.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by providing efficient and attentive service during busy shifts.
- Streamlined table turnover times by efficiently managing guest payments and assisting with bussing duties when necessary.
- Bussed and reset tables to keep dining room and work areas clean.
Senior Waiter
Giraffe Restaurant
08.2022 - 04.2024
- Mentored junior waitstaff to improve their skills and maintain a high standard of service, resulting in a more cohesive team.
- Shared knowledge of menu items and flavors, enabling customers to make personal decisions based on taste and interest.
- Served as a liaison between kitchen staff and guests regarding dietary restrictions or special requests ensuring a pleasant dining experience for all.
- Monitored dining rooms for seating availability as well as service, safety, and well-being of guests.
- Facilitated clear communication between the front-and back-of-house teams, improving overall restaurant efficiency.
Education
Hospitality Bar And Restaurant Management Level 4 - Hospitality Management
02.2004
Introduction To Hospitality Level 1 And 2 - Hospitality
02.2001
Skills
- Adaptive Learning
- Strong Communication Skills
- Sales Techniques
- Food safety understanding
- Exceptional customer service
- Flexible schedule availability
- Relationship Management
- Safe Food Handling
- Food Safety Compliance
- Time management expertise
- High-volume dining
- Guest Relations
- Dining area maintenance
- Tableside Etiquette
- Food inspection
- Wine service
- Food and beverage pairings
- Advanced Food Knowledge
- Staff training support
- Wine Pairings
- Allergy awareness
- Guest Relations Management
- Fine dining experience
- Reservation Management
- Bar terminology
- Menu Memorization
- Wine pairing knowledge
- Wine Knowledge
- Tableside Service
- Quality Control
- Daily specials memorization
- Special Event Coordination
- Cash handling proficiency
- Professional Appearance
- Upselling techniques
- Compliance standards
- Bill computation
- POS System Operation
- Team Supervision
- Fine-dining expertise
- Wine pairing
Languages
Te reo maori
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Waiter - First Mates Last Laugh
04.2024 - 07.2024
Senior Waiter - Giraffe Restaurant
08.2022 - 04.2024
Professional Bar School - Hospitality Bar And Restaurant Management Level 4, Hospitality Management
Academy NZ - Introduction To Hospitality Level 1 And 2, Hospitality
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