As we're headed into the last week of the internship I feel that more and more work continues to pile up on me and my department. Our Hotel Manager has had myself and Richard really focusing on some marketing efforts for the restaurant. Unfortunately we have not been doing as great as we have hoped to be so we have been looking for ways to boost revenue within the department. One of these ways was to reach out to Groupon.com to advertise. Groupon is a website that features one local business every day where you can purchase gift certificates at deeply discounted prices. Our hope is that by participating in this website we will see more activity from the local community. Look out for May 7th, 2010!! That will be the day that Fire + Spice will be featured on the website!
On another note I have been working with a local partner, Four Peaks, to have some of my guys take a tour of the brewery. We feature four of Four Peaks handcrafted beers in our restaurant and I feel that a tour would be very beneficial for our guys! (It'll also be a great team bonding event, and a great lunch!)
I have begun to take on more responsibilities within my department and it really makes me feel more comfortable in my position. I really feel that things are starting to look up. I am very excited to see where I am at in 2-3 months down the road! My role as Asst. Outlets Manager has allowed me to grow and and mold my management style. I feel that I still have a long way to go, but I have begun to see what life is like on the other side!
I have been extremely lucky to have a management team that only wants to see me succeed. There have been many times where I have become very frustrated with some of my managers, almost to the point where I was ready to call it quits. My manager Richard has always been there to back me up and has played a very important role in my growth in this position. My Hotel Manager Aaron has been my mentor for the past two and a half years and I know that he has pushed me because he feels that I can move on to do great things in my future. I would like to thank both of them for having the patience and understanding in my transition and hope that they both feel as I do, in that I have progressed significantly in the last month.
I will continue on in this postion after the internship and hope to in the next year I can continue to grow and mold my management style in a way that fits me best.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Almost done!
So we're reaching the last few weeks of the internship and it's caused me to look back on day one and reminisce on everything that I have accomplished this semester. It has no doubt been a difficult couple of months for me for several reasons, but I feel that whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.
One of my biggest challenges this semester was the transition from supervisor to manager. This change in title came with a lot more responsibility than I was expecting. I was held accountible for a lot of stuff within my department. I've come to realize that deadlines, tasks, and other duties are set in place for a reason. I think that even though the last couple of months have been pretty bumpy for me, I have come out of this whole situation a lot stronger and better as a manager within an organization.
I have been very lucky to be in the position that I am now in as Asst. Outlets Manager and it will only help me to rise within this industry and find what it is that I love. I really do enjoy working in the restaurant and in doing so I have been able to see what I enjoy doing the most. Through this position I have found that I really enjoy coming up with new and innovative ideas to bring more people into the restaurant. I also have found that the restaurant business is a very exciting and fast-paced industry. There really aren't enough hours in the day for all the work that needs to be done!!
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
One of my biggest challenges this semester was the transition from supervisor to manager. This change in title came with a lot more responsibility than I was expecting. I was held accountible for a lot of stuff within my department. I've come to realize that deadlines, tasks, and other duties are set in place for a reason. I think that even though the last couple of months have been pretty bumpy for me, I have come out of this whole situation a lot stronger and better as a manager within an organization.
I have been very lucky to be in the position that I am now in as Asst. Outlets Manager and it will only help me to rise within this industry and find what it is that I love. I really do enjoy working in the restaurant and in doing so I have been able to see what I enjoy doing the most. Through this position I have found that I really enjoy coming up with new and innovative ideas to bring more people into the restaurant. I also have found that the restaurant business is a very exciting and fast-paced industry. There really aren't enough hours in the day for all the work that needs to be done!!
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Time Management
One of the hardest things that I have had to work with in my position is time management. A lot of my time as the asst. restaurant manager is spent on the floor with my associates making sure that the restaurant is running smoothly and that the guests who are dining are happy with their experience. The other part of my postition is obviously to handle the managerial work, including scheduling, ordering, meetings, etc. My shifts are usually 2p-11p or 10a-11p and while this is certainly a lot of hours put in, I spend a lot of hours on the floor to help control labor and keep it down. My manager Richard and I are only together for about 2-3 hours each day because he is at work in the mornings and I work the night shfits. When we are working together the time is usually spent in meetings, or I will be on the floor because he is finishing up his work for the day (we share one computer). I have been working diligently on finding the right time each night to get back to the office and complete my work. What I used to do was wait until the end of the night when the restaurant closed at 11pm and finish up all the work I needed to do. The unfortunate part about this was that I was not getting out of work until 1 or 2 in the morning which is no the right answer. I have found that there is usually a slower time between 4pm-6pm and 9pm-11pm when I can get to the office and do the work that I need to get done.
On a happier note, we are now only one week away from rolling out our new menu in the restaurant! We have already replaced the drink menu in the restaurant and have a brand new wine list. This has been a long time coming! We wanted to roll out both new menus at the same time, but we stopped ordering the old wine and were down to 3-4 bottles of wine left. It is a VERY exciting thing to be able to give the guest the wine that they want without having to substitute something else. We will have our menu training this weekend, so this week I will work with the cooks to learn the new menu. I unfortunately was not around for the months of taste testing and only know the new menu items by name so it will be fun to taste and learn the items that have changed. We also have our monthly meeting this weekend and we will be focusing on the steps of service for the servers, bartenders, hosts, bussers, and room service staff. I am really excited to start over with a fresh plate for the entire restaurant team with this new menu and can't wait to see how it works with the guests! More to come :)
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
On a happier note, we are now only one week away from rolling out our new menu in the restaurant! We have already replaced the drink menu in the restaurant and have a brand new wine list. This has been a long time coming! We wanted to roll out both new menus at the same time, but we stopped ordering the old wine and were down to 3-4 bottles of wine left. It is a VERY exciting thing to be able to give the guest the wine that they want without having to substitute something else. We will have our menu training this weekend, so this week I will work with the cooks to learn the new menu. I unfortunately was not around for the months of taste testing and only know the new menu items by name so it will be fun to taste and learn the items that have changed. We also have our monthly meeting this weekend and we will be focusing on the steps of service for the servers, bartenders, hosts, bussers, and room service staff. I am really excited to start over with a fresh plate for the entire restaurant team with this new menu and can't wait to see how it works with the guests! More to come :)
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Another day
This week I have discovered that perception is much more than just perception. What I mean by that is that what people see, while it may not be true, is what they believe. Someone may see one part of you and think that is all you are about. I experienced this with my Hotel Manager this last week. I have seen that in situations like this one it is important to work twice as hard, smart, diligent, etc. in order to show those who may think something about you that it is not true. While it doesn't always make sense to have to change something that is working, it is important to make sure that there are those who are working around and above you have faith in you and the job that you are doing.
Coming into the final weeks of this internship I have seen many ups and downs in my position. I haven't had the smoothest transition from the front desk to the restaurant, but I do have the support of my manager Richard and my staff which makes each day easier. I have learned so much in such a short amount of time about managing and the workplace that it will only help me to continue on and grow in this industry. I honestly strive each day to learn something new, either about management, the restaurant, or the hospitality industry. I still have not found where I want to be amongst the hotel industry, but I know that with the experience I am gaining I will find where I belong.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
Coming into the final weeks of this internship I have seen many ups and downs in my position. I haven't had the smoothest transition from the front desk to the restaurant, but I do have the support of my manager Richard and my staff which makes each day easier. I have learned so much in such a short amount of time about managing and the workplace that it will only help me to continue on and grow in this industry. I honestly strive each day to learn something new, either about management, the restaurant, or the hospitality industry. I still have not found where I want to be amongst the hotel industry, but I know that with the experience I am gaining I will find where I belong.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.
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