Kayla Reid
Brunswick East,VIC
Summary
With around 13 years hospitality experience, I am an award-winning bartender, beverage creative and hospitality consultant that has worked in many different styles of venues from beer boutiques and dive bars to premium high-end cocktail and whisk(e)y bars. I pride myself on attention to detail, the ability to work well under pressure and lead a team from the front. Staff mentorship and development are some of my passions and I am well versed in playing key roles in opening new venues, project management, cocktail creation, menu development and all-round hospitality consultancy. I would like to continue to develop my skills within the hospitality industry in terms of bar, business structure, and people and project management with a focus staff training and development, and cocktail and menu development.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Creative Beverage and Staff Mentor
The Speakeasy Group
09.2022 - 09.2023
- Full creative control and development of all Speakeasy venue cocktail menus.
- Talent recruitment
- Ensure all costings were accurate across venues
- Creating batching programs for all venues
- Ongoing cocktail curation for external events
- In venue trainings for all staff, in and out of service
- Working service over the venues to ensure standards are maintained
- Writing extensive theoretical trainings for our online training platform – ANANAS - To be available for support, advice, and training for all staff over 9 venues - approximately 200 staff
- Cocktail competition mentoring
- Setting up of new venues
- Project management - Executed a successful and well received ‘VIP Superbox’ at the Australian Open - Opening beverage manager for Eau de Vie Sydney and The Sanderson which included in depth training of all staff leading to open, full menu planning of both venues executed by myself (60 drinks)
- Various small-scale projects in collaboration with brands and media outlets such as Broadsheet
- Talent for media, photography, videography, interviews, and social media
Opening Bar Manager
Nick And Nora’s Melbourne (The Speakeasy Group)
10.2019 - 09.2022
- Opening bar manager for Nick and Nora’s Melbourne - 220pax
- Set up structure for new venue and constantly adapting to create more efficient procedures
- Strong spirit, beer, wine, champagne, and cocktail knowledge
- Trained all new staff
- Recruitment
- Running a tight batching program
- Ran the bar from the front, on dispense and maintaining service standards
- Created industry recognised cocktail menu and ongoing drink development for external events
- Rostering
- Product costing
- Managing shifts with a team of up to 30
- Nightly cash up and reporting
- Internal and external event logistics and function management
- Liaise with high profile clients
- Regular meetings with owners
- Ability to work alongside a large HQ/office team
- Successfully executed consultancy project in collaboration with Speakeasy for The Continental Sorrento where I wrote all the menus over their 5 bars (40 drinks) and was regularly on site to train their bartenders and help execute a successful venue open
- Won “Time Out People’s Choice 2022” under my management
- Adhering to financial business requirements in terms of meeting wage %, sticking to weekly and monthly budgets and COGS, meeting revenue targets and running a tight ship.
- Maintaining trainings on out online platform - ANANAS - Talent for social media - Speakeasy photography, videography, social media and interviews
- Shot with GQ and Channel 9.
Venue Manager
Savile Row
05.2017 - 10.2019
- Cocktail bartending
- In depth whisk(e)y and spirit knowledge
- Attending and curating trainings
- Writing cocktail, wine and whisk(e)y menus
- Running shifts
- Weekly ordering
- Stock and staff management, including stocktake
- Meeting KPI's
- Costings
- Meeting with Rep's and Ambassador’s
- Organising and running events and functions
- Handling cash, counting tills, banking
- Conflict resolution
- Table Service/Waitressing
- Regularly meeting with owners
Head Bartender
Cobbler Whisk(e)y Bar
01.2017 - 05.2017
- Cocktail bartending
- In depth whisk(e)y and spirit knowledge
- Attending weekly trainings
- Cocktail prep shifts/batching
- Handling and receiving stock
Bartender/Supervisor
Lefty's Old Time Music Hall
09.2015 - 01.2017
- Cocktail bartending
- Running food
- Ability to work in whisk(e)y bar downstairs and rum bar upstairs
- Supervisor of Mermaid Lounge (Rum bar located upstairs of venue)
- Stock and staff management including stocktake
- Receiving and handling stock
- Handling cash, counting tills
- Running functions
Bartender/Waitress
Lychee Lounge
05.2015 - 09.2015
- Cocktail bartending
- Waitressing
- Running functions
- Food/platter prep
- Opening and closing procedures
Bartender/Waitress
Archive Beer Boutique
06.2014 - 12.2015
- Possessing strong craft beer knowledge
- Cocktail knowledge
- Bartending
- Functions
- Bistro, food prep, running food
- Attending regular trainings
Skills
- Punctual, driven and organised
- Passionate about the industry – hospo lifer
- Firm but fair style of management
- Great communicator
- Great in a team environment but also a strong autonomous worker
- Thrives in high paced/high volume venues – clean, efficient and considerate bartender
- Strong ability to work well under pressure
- Passionate about staff development
- Menu development and cocktail curation
- Logistics for large scale events
- Project management
- Attention to Detail
- Venue, bar and shift management
- Problem solving and trouble shooting
References
Martin Lange, Cobbler and Savile Row - 0430 217 621
Jon Linstead, The Speakeasy Group - 0468 957 997
Timeline
Head of Creative Beverage and Staff Mentor
The Speakeasy Group
09.2022 - 09.2023
Opening Bar Manager
Nick And Nora’s Melbourne (The Speakeasy Group)
10.2019 - 09.2022
Venue Manager
Savile Row
05.2017 - 10.2019
Head Bartender
Cobbler Whisk(e)y Bar
01.2017 - 05.2017
Bartender/Supervisor
Lefty's Old Time Music Hall
09.2015 - 01.2017
Bartender/Waitress
Lychee Lounge
05.2015 - 09.2015
Bartender/Waitress
Archive Beer Boutique
06.2014 - 12.2015
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