HOTELIER AWARDS 2012: Outlet manager shortlist

These five finalists will compete for the Outlet Manager of the Year 2012 title in the Hotelier Middle East Awards to be held on October 31 at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC.

Below you will find extracts and testimonials from the shortlisted nominations for each of the five candidates...

Joseph Khatoun, Hilton Abu Dhabi

About Joseph
Joseph Khatoun is the restaurant manager at the renowned ‘Vascos’ at Hilton Abu Dhabi. He joined Hilton Abu Dhabi in October 2010 from Beirut, Lebanon. Vascos is a popular restaurant in Abu Dhabi and has many loyal, regular and top V.I.P. customers coming for lunch and dinner on a weekly basis. Lebanese born Joseph developed his passion for food whilst growing up and joining the hospitality industry in Lebanon. He worked in food & beverage roles in four major international chains such in Philippines, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Lebanon. Later he managed the infamous ‘Able Food and Beverages services’, a fine dining Company in Cebu City Philippines with 2 international restaurants concept, mingling with the young, rich and beautiful diners of Far East. In recognition of his work and ambitions, in 2006 Joseph was able to create new style for the pre opening of “Table 7” Fusion cuisine and it was the first in Cebu City. Joseph has a strong background and interest in Asian and Far Eastern cuisine as he has worked and travelled throughout the different countries and tasted its intricacies on the way. Joseph’s most interesting food experiences is a fusion dish of Onion Curry Risotto that he found in a side street of central of Visayas Cebu Philippines. His favorite dish is from his mother’s home cooking, the typical Lebanese “Fish Syadieh”, a combination of brown rice and fish with all the Arabic spices.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Joseph implemented effective operation procedures, up-selling initiatives and promotions at Vasco’s. His first change in the restaurant was the introduction of a new reservation system by organizing the bookings in two different categories early and late bookings. He was able to increase covers by 15% and revenue by 10% versus budget. Joseph changed and added vibrancy to the existing guests by visiting their offices regularly and getting familiar with all their needs in terms off favorites promotions and by sharing the information’s to all his team and gaining much more all the guests trust. Through his team he also sold added up selling and incentives program “REVMAX” with all the team that help in generating additional revenue by 6% versus the budget. Analyzing his outlets peak periods, Joseph introduced the Week-end Family Brunch, where guests can choose different food menu items for their kids as well and the live cooking stations. As a result the revenue doubled on week-ends from 8% per week-ends to 16% per night and securing a minimum of 8% sales revenue on a quiet evening. For Vasco’s 10th Anniversary, Joseph created a children’s cooking class what was received with enthusiasm by the parents and children alike. During the holy month of Ramadan in 2011, Joseph was involved in managing the annual Sohour tent at the Hiltonia Beach Garden, this tent is one of the most popular Sohour tents in Abu Dhabi. The team practiced for four weeks long under his supervision and brought back the highest revenue as the tent sales was increased by 12% compared to previous years. Joseph dedication and team spirit at the Hilton Abu Dhabi can also be seen in is his assistance to other outlets. If one of the other restaurant managers of the hotel is on leave, Joseph will take over the day to day operations of the outlet on top of his own Vasco’s duties. Joseph uses his knowledge and experience to advice on new procedures and standards to his fellow restaurant managers. Joseph was able to introduce and implement after the management approve his idea to sell Premium Cards membership (the Hilton Abu Dhabi food and beverage discount card) for all outlets on spot, and was able to increase regulars with clear increase in revenue by 4 %.

Testimonials for Joseph
“I had the pleasure to work closely together on the Ramadan project with Joe in the last two years. Am very impressed with his leadership skills, creativity and finesse, am proud to have him in my team.” Hany Ahmed, director of business development Hilton Abu Dhabi.

“Joseph has integrated himself to the Hilton family and Vasco’s immediately and made a great contribution to the entire F&B division. He is a great team player; he always sees the bigger picture and just his part of the job. He has generated great group business for the hotel after the Abu Dhabi Volvo Ocean Race event; he was able to review the cost and was/is able to deliver fantastic conversion ratios. Josephs’ pro-active leadership enables him to grow within very short time from a restaurant manager to a manager who is overseeing over four outlets and has been a key player in the opening of our latest Ocean Cafe.” Christian Hoehn, director of operations Hilton Abu Dhabi

“I have been working in Hilton since 27/02/2001,started as waiter in complex(Hemingway-Jazz bar-Tequilana now Cinnabar) after 1 year I have been promoted to captain, than I have been promoted to headwaiter and moved to Vascos, and that was the time Mr. Joseph joined the company, I was very happy in the way how Mr. Joseph handle his staff such he is very well motivated and he listen to all and he have been fair to everybody, we had a conversation me and him for my future career growth and we set trainings and mentoring as we went far beyond his counseling and coaching and he was very dedicated on how I have to execute all my tasks and how to make a clear plan in my work place. He is such a very appreciated manager I have learned a lot from him on how to manage my team by being a leader not a boss he teach me how to show in actual our staff on how things should be done rather than give it as an order, and here now I am handling the position of assistant restaurant manager in Room Service and applying all the methods that he use to train me in applying all the SOP and the hotel standards and how to be initiative with all the team and create new procedures to achieve all the business targets. Nishanta Gunawaradana, Vascos supervisor.

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John Allan, Hilton Doha

About John
In April 1989, John Allan started his career with Hilton Hotels in the Finance Department at London Hilton on Park Lane and surprisingly grew his way up and out into F&B Operations as Bar Manager of the same property. In 1995, he set cap to the United States where he joined Hilton Head Island in South Carolina as Beverage Manager where he was then promoted to Restaurant & Bar Manager. From 2002 to 2006, John moved to San Francisco and joined the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company as Assistant General Manager then General Manager. In 2007, John joined Trader Vic’s in California, USA as General Manager where he also assisted in the Opening of Trader Vic’s Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for 3 months. And this February 2012, John joined the Hilton Doha team as Restaurant Manager for the introduction and opening of the 1st Trader Vic’s in Qatar.

Above and beyond the call of duty...

John ensures that Trader Vic’s is the Number 1 Revenue Generator at Hilton Doha. Though the restaurant is fully booked all the time, he commits to always going the extra mile and offer alternative solution to guests in terms of timing and dining at Lounge experience to ensure that the guests’ requests are not declined. Trader Vic’s has the highest team members’ retention rate in the hotel and moreover John expanded his team from 34 to 62 to meet the demand and volume of business. All team members are personally trained by himself on Trader Vic’s Concept during their Induction. Even though John physically arrived and joined the team in February 2012, he worked on the pre-opening of Trader Vic’s Doha while still being in California. He fully supported the F&B team during opening after his working hours by helping other F&B Outlets and Banqueting Events while at the same time overseeing the Pre-Opening of Trader Vic’s during his normal shift

Testimonials for John

“Opening the first Trader Vics in Doha is an event that we can be proud of especially our Trader Vic’s Manager John who has dedicated his effort since the pre-opening time. Dealing with an overbooked restaurant requires leadership, strong business acumen and high sense of urgency all great qualities of John Allan. Making sure to interview each and every member of his team, hiring everyone and growing a team from 0 to 40 people, training them and empowering them to deliver the best service in Doha is another one of his high skills. John is not only a great Hilton person but also a truly Trader Vic’s person. He doesn’t hesitate to greet each guest and welcome them with his famous ”ALOHA” accompanied with his great smile that is always drawn on his face even during rush hours of service.” Solange El Corm, director of HR.

“John Allan excels in leading his team and keeping them motivated even at their busiest peek where there are over 300 guests to serve. He always has a smiling composure which makes him approachable to all Guests and Team Members alike. Meeting targets and ensuring that all his Team are fully engaged to achieving desired financial results as well as Guests’ satisfaction.” Frederik Wisselink, F&B manager.

“John Allan is a great professional. He is a very experienced in operating the Trader Vic’s. He is very dedicated and always projecting a “can do” attitude. He successfully managed to open and run Trader Vic’s despite many challenges. He took ownership and manoeuvres the outlet by heart and ensures that a high level of quality and service is delivered to the guest. The welfare of his team members is also on top of his list. He always ensures that they are cared for and highly motivated. He has created a very professional and efficient team. With this, it resulted in a positive and good score in the TMES 2012. With all the effort and excellent leadership.” Joelle Chan, director of operations.

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About Jonathan
Jonathan Vercoutere has been working in the F&B industry for approximately ten years. He started by travelling throughout France. Jonathan has worked in 4 countries in total in Europe (North Ireland, Spain and UK), in the USA and Australia where he got his first position as a Restaurant Manager at the age 23 in a restaurant situated in Mont Buller! He then continued his managerial career in another restaurant in the docklands area of Melbourne. In 2010, Jonathan was offered the manager position at Rostang, at Atlantis the Palm Dubai. Jonathan arrived from Australia full of passion and excitement to undertake this new role. He took over an outlet that was operating without a manager for more than 4 months. He started by re setting the standard of service to a higher level and then worked on many projects which helped the outlet to achieve positive monthly financial results. Almost two years later, the outlet is currently at its best both operationally and financially since the restaurant’s opening.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Jonathan is a very analytical professional, passionate about his job, very knowledgeable and always tries his best to provide the greatest experience to both his guest and his team members. The overall bottom line of the outlet has increased by 23% between 2010 and 201. Costs have reduced to practically nothing (never more than 4%). The average cheque per person has also been raised by 20% for lunch and dinner on average for the year. This ultimately means significantly larger overall revenue from Rostang. In 2011, the outlet finished 2nd out of the 17 F&B outlets in Mystery Shopper results. This year, is has been going steady in the high 80s and 90s. Once again, Rostang has been at its highest with regards to guest satisfaction in the past 18 months! Rostang has seen the biggest growth in terms of guest satisfaction (from 7.79% to 8.1%). Jonathan has also created many different initiatives that have led to an increase customer response. “The Grape Escape” (weekly Thursday promotion with a selection of wines from various regions around the world, delicious meats and other French delicacies) has been a huge success since its onset in 2011, thus generating incremental revenue through an increase of 50% in volume from out of house guests throughout the year. Jonathan also developed menus for lunch and dinner that helped increases both revenue and average cheque. Jonathan goes over and above the call of duty on regular basis. As Atlantis is a large property, assisting other outlets is required often, and Jonathan is always one of the first to lend a helping hand whenever he can. On several occasions, when the guest has a particular dietary requirement, him and the chef work hard to achieve full satisfaction. Staff outings are done frequently, as Jonathan believes that before making the guest happy you need to concentrate on making the team members happy. Jonathan actively signs up for team member football tournaments at the staff accommodation, where he plays along with the entire Rostang team and ensures team building through sports interaction. On the top of that, Jonathan likes to share his knowledge and success with other fellow managers and helps them to improve their approach to a program or a concept they are not familiar with. He always carries a smile on his face and is well liked by his colleagues.

Testimonials for Jonathan
“Providing exceptional customer service strengthens his ability to see things through and prioritize his workload giving him a nice work life balance. Jonathan has made a lot of contributions towards increase JD Power scores, creating highest customer satisfaction index and mentoring to help reduce turnovers. He sets high standards for his team and for himself. This allows him to be a true role model to our industry and helps him in delivering exceptional results and empowering his team by identifying what drives them as individuals to realize their full potential.” Heiko Schreiner, senior VP of F&B Atlantis The Palm Dubai.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Jonathan on both professional and personal events over many years at Atlantis as well as outside catering requirements. Emirates is a demanding customer and Jonathan has always met and exceeded our expectations with faultless delivery, fastidious attention to detail, charm that crosses cultures and deep knowledge of his food and wine offerings. Nothing fazes Jonathan and he calmly deals with large groups, VIPs and inevitable stresses of a large operation. I am happy to offer my highest praise for his professionalism and dedication to the job.”Andrew Parker, senior VP International Affairs, Emirates Airline, Dubai

“It is not a surprise to me that you have been nominated for the best restaurant manager by Atlantis The Palm Dubai. The warm welcome that you have, the professionalism of your team, the excellent quality of food you are offering contribute to the outstanding success story you have managed to create. As a matter of fact, we visit your restaurant very regularly with different guests. They're all very grateful of the great experience you're offering at Rostang Restaurant in Atlantis The Palm Dubai. Due to the nature of my work, I'm often experiencing the pleasure of dining at some of the world best restaurants. As a matter of fact, your restaurant is the best experience I have enjoyed week after week. All the best!” Pierre Chamas, VP MEMA, McCain International Inc., Dubai – UAE.

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Monsif Damar, Grand Hyatt Dubai

About Monsif
Monsif Damar joined Grand Hyatt Dubai seven years ago and has shown dedication and contribution in term of achieveing the F&B objectives effectively since then. He started as a waiter at the hotel and gradually progressed into the positions of team leader, assistant manager and restaurant manager of The Market Cafe, a role which he now holds. Throughout his tenure, he has cross-trained at various different F&B outlets amassing the best practices of the operational and service standards of each team he has been assigned to. He was awarded the 5-year service award from Hyatt Hotel Corporation and is well on his way to even achieving 10 years of service with the hotel.

Above and beyond the call of duty…

While all employees are committed and motivated in their various roles, Monsif goes beyond his regular duties to be accessible and available to his staff and guests well beyond time and requirements. He is often seen at The Market Cafe across all shifts, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner assisting his team to manage guests, seating them, serving them and even clearing plates and glasses when required. His team knows that they can rely on Monsif at any time to assist when they are short-handed or when the hotel is running at full occupancy especially over the breakfast period. Some guests have even been to known to remark that Monsif is like the restaurant's "mascot" - always smiling, greeting and assisting them whenever required. His commitment and dedication is evident to both internal and external customers. In order to increase motivation levels amongst his team of 43 employees, Monsif single-handedly plans his team outings on a regular basis in order to foster a closer sense of belonging and a family atmosphere among the department. Knowing that most employees are away from home and living in Dubai without their families, this sense of camaraderie and support is important in retaining their loyalty - Monsif has recognised this very well and works well to keep his team closely-knit. This is evident in the low levels of turnover shown in his restaurant. Apart from his regular duties as the restaurant manager at his outlet, The Market Cafe, Monsif was also tasked to be one of the team leaders who manages all the logistics aspects of the 2011 New Year's Eve celebrations at the hotel. Having performed this duty numerous times over the years, Monsif was one of the more senior and experienced individuals working on this big event project from the planning and concept development stage, to working with the F&B team for implementation and preparation and being the on-site support system for the night itself. This includes preparing all the logistical requirements for the event, scheduling and supervising.

Testimonials for Monsif
“Monsif is the most experienced and senior member on the team and can always be relied on to solve any problems that may arise in the day-to-day working of the F&B department.” Kifah Bin Hussein, EAM food & beverage.

“Monsif is one of the most flexible team players in the F&B team. His instant reaction to any calls for assistance or ownership towards projects and his keen attention to detail and follow-up are his key strengths.” Dimitrios Kotsifakos, assistant director of food & beverage.

“Monsif is a very Marketing-oriented manager, who believes in the right marketing tools to promote his restaurant. In this respect, he is very supportive of the Marketing team in suggesting ideas and implementing our recommendations to his best ability.” Gina Desmeralda, marketing communications manager.

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Santhosh Kumar Pooswamy, Oulet manager, Jumeirah Beach Hotel

About Santhosh
Santhosh Kumar Pooswamy joined Jumeirah Beach hotel in 2011 as an outlet manager for Villa Beach. Santhosh has been a very committed, dedicated and flexible team member, always ready with new and innovative ideas to generate revenue. Santhosh maintains quality and is a hard working person. He has always been impressive in his professionalism, passion and has excellent customer service skills. His commitment and dedication to his job has always been of the highest level. His ability to lead by example and motivate others with his unsurpassed passion is commendable.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Santhosh’s management skills successfully demonstrate an ability to deliver high quality service whilst maintaining operating costs and effectively managing revenue. He achieves financial objectives by exhibiting exceptional leadership and time management skills for overall market leadership through directing daily financial, administrative operations and constant implementation of strategic decisions based on customer feedback. He has reduced costs by 16% & improved efficiency by 33%. Santhosh is a multi-lingual and well-traveled F&B professional who can easily adapt to any environment. He has an efficient and logical approach to business and can establish relationships swiftly. Being a self-starter, he can see through concepts from inception all the way to successful launch and beyond. His sense of humor helps to keep interactions light, yet he never loses his focus to get tasks done right the first time around. Santhosh’s way of interacting with both guests and colleagues are exceptional. He is detail-oriented and always eager to utilize his knowledge to enhance the guest experience wherever needed. He is always willing to foster the professional growth of those around him. His attitude always remains positive; add on top an energetic and insatiable thirst for completing the job, you understand why Santhosh is unique and pleasant to work with and he is an excellent manager with strong organizational and people skills, as well as in-depth knowledge of menu engineering techniques with direct positive effects on revenue and profit.

Testimonial for Santhosh
“Santhosh has worked for leading hospitality companies with varied strengths and vision. He has all the aspects of managing operations, including setting standard process and procedures, budgeting, building effective manpower grids, PR, staff recruitment, and short and long term marketing strategies. Santhosh is very reliable, committed and a hard working team member. He has adapted to various situations and supported the necessary changes for the best of the business. He has the big business managers talent and can drive a very large team without losing a single detail. He is a firm person, decisive with a great overview, and an excellent strategist. Santhosh has strong analytical and methodical skills and impresses all of us with a can-do attitude. Also he has good interpersonal skills and balances administrative and operational duties. He is well respected and trusted by peers, direct reports and supervisors, also he is a true hotelier and is very guest oriented. He is very supportive towards his subordinates and very accommodating and people focused.” Rikhsibay Tursunov, assistant F&B manager – Jumeirah Beach Hotel.