ABHILASH MENON

Experience

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  OLIVE BAR AND KITCHEN PRIVATE LIMITED

  Oct 2005 - Aug 2007

  BAR MAN ( PRE-OPENING TEAM)

  The Olive Bar & Kitchen Pvt. Ltd. INDIA(Olive Beach, Bangalore, a division of Olive Bar and Kitchen, winner of several national and International awards, amongst them ‘Conde Naste Travelers’ top 60 New Restaurants of the World)Bartender Oct’05-Aug’07• Ensured that the bar operates efficiently and meets set quality requirements and standards• Monitored the bar staff and provided a high degree of “Floor presence” to plan, assign, direct work and provided corrective action• Appraised performance and rewarded staff for exceeding service expectations• Acquired ability to make and serve variations of beverages when restricted to some varieties and brands of liquor• Created expertise in knowledge of the exact proportions and combinations to utilize in making cocktails• Great relationship skills to manage and negotiate in unforeseen situations such as managing unruly clients, government authorities etc Show less

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  Carnival UK (P&O Cruises & Cunard)

  May 2007 - Jul 2013

  BAR TEAM LEADER

  P&O Cruises (Ships – Arcadia | Azura | Oriana) UKAssistant Bar Team Leader Jan’09-July’13• Travelled across Asia, Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, Iceland, East coast USA, Canada and Caribbean islands • Led a team of at least 10 members and worked with employees from 15 nationalities• Managed the bar through USPH (United State Public Health), UKPH and Canadian public health inspection ensuring that operations and service adhere to highest quality control & hygiene standards• Made the Chairman of Seafarers welfare committee of the a crew of 600 members• Conducted monthly meetings with Captain and other Heads with regards to crew welfare, safety culture awareness, crew activities (Parties, Bingo sports meet) across a 7 ships wide fleet• Achieved targets such as max sales (min GBP 3000 every day, zero wastage, minimal stock holding• Trained employees on all aspects of service and selling techniques• Addressed complaints and resolving problems for both employees and guestsActivities:• Martini tasting session: Organized and hosted a one hour session for onboard passengers that included an hours lecture on various Ingredients of a Martini, Preparation, Required Equipment and Tasting, followed by my signature certificate issuance • Featured in the Carnival UK passenger videos performing Martin tasting• Cocktail demonstration: Conducted on the deck of ocean village for 1500 passenger• Costa Barista skills: Trained by Costa coffee and also led a Onboard Costa coffee shop team with a monthly revenue of GBP 90,000On Board Certificates:• Personal survival techniques | Fire fighting & prevention | Personal safety and social responsibilities | Elementary first aid | Attended NUTRASTAT managing integrated pest control level-IIIAwards:• Level - II in food safety in catering (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, UK)• Long Service Award (Five Years from Carnival, UK) Show less

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  Canvas Laugh Club

  Sept 2013 - Apr 2015

  BAR & OPERATIONS MANAGER

  Horseshoe Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. (The Spa Group) INDIABar and Operations Manager – Canvas Laugh Club | CANVAS Sep’13-Till Date• Responsible for Food and Beverage operations of CANVAS (one of the most sought after clubs in Mumbai) and the Canvas Laugh Club (only live standup comedy club in India)• Managed a team of 150 people for back-end operations, service, bar operations and central kitchen• Managed the entire value chain such as Purchase, Order, Preparation, Service, Delivery, POS systems, Customer Engagement and Bar Efficiency• Devised and led strategy to analyze and focus on customer target groups and align F&B offering, Increase Sales through customer engagement and special packages• Analyzed Sales trends through the use of spreadsheets to identify non-core competency and ineffective strategies and rectify these• Led the restructuring exercise to manage layoff of staff and identify core capability and align expectations and restart operations with renewed vigor• Managing the financial aspects of the F&B operation, such as operating within the budget requirements, and successful identification of expense reduction through cost control, optimum use of resources etc.• Profound ability to sell concepts and ideas to management, peers, and employees• Well versed in Point of Sales Systems such as Shaw man, Micros and IDS• Led the re-launch team to manage work post a fire incident and launched the club in a month• Adept at liaising and negotiations with government authorities (Police, Excise, Fire, Electrical and Public Works Dept) for license related issues Show less

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  JSM Corporation Pvt. Ltd.

  May 2015 - Jun 2016

  General Manager

  • Establishing restaurant business plan by surveying restaurant demand; conferring with people in the community; identifying and evaluating competitors; preparing financial, marketing, and sales projections, analyses, and estimates.• Attracting patrons by developing and implementing marketing, advertising, public and community relations programs; evaluating program results; identifying and tracking changing demands.• Controlling purchases and inventory by meeting with account manager; negotiating prices and contracts; developing preferred supplier lists; reviewing and evaluating usage reports; analyzing variances; taking corrective actions.• Maintaining patron satisfaction by monitoring, evaluating, and auditing food, beverage, and service offerings; initiating improvements; building relationships with preferred patrons.• Accomplishing restaurant and bar human resource objectives by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, assigning, scheduling, coaching, counseling, and disciplining management staff; communicating job expectations; planning, monitoring, appraising, and reviewing job contributions; planning and reviewing compensation actions; enforcing policies and procedures.• Maintaining safe, secure, and healthy facility environment by establishing, following, and enforcing sanitation standards and procedures; complying with health and legal regulations; maintaining security systems.• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by tracking emerging trends in the restaurant industry; attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; bench marking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.• Accomplishing company goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments. Show less

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  Franchise India Holdings Limited

  Jul 2016 - now

  Zonal Head

  • FRANCHISE EXPANSIONS, SETTING UP MEETINGS WITH POSSIBLE INVESTORS AND FOLLOW-UP & CONVERT • VENUE SHORLTISTING ALONG WITH FRANCHISEE & SURVEYING THE LOCATION AS PER FOOTFALLS,SALES• TRACKING ALL PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITES AN THE THEIR SALS MIX IN ALL OUTLETS IN THE REGION.• AUDITING OUTLETS TO MAKE SURE THEY ALL FUNCTIONING AS PER BARNDS SOP• TRAINING THE FOH & BOH ON THE COMPANY HISTORY & PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTES AS PER HOSPITALITY STANDARDS• IDENTIFYING POSSIBLE VENDORS FOR PRE OPENING & POST OPENING REQUIREMENTS OF ALL OUTLETS.• COORDINATING WITH INTERIOR DESIGNER ON VISUAL MERCHANDISE AND OTHER CIVIL ASPECTS DURING PROJECT STAGE.• LIAISING WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES FOR ALL THE LICENSES.• ACHIEVE PROFIT TARGETS FOR THE CLUSTER OF BRANCHES IN THE ZONE • ACHIEVING SALES TARGETS SET FOR THE REGION BY ENSURING 100% COMPLIANCE. • HANDLING A TEAM OF MARKETING, CREDIT AND OPERATIONS. • STAFFING AND GROOMING, TEAM BUILDING, MOTIVATION, SATISFACTION AND MINIMAL ATTRITION.• MONITORING AND EVALUATING PERFORMANCE OF MY EXISTING AND NEWLY APPOINTED TEAM MEMBERS. ALSO ENSURING THEY ARE GIVEN A CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK WHICH SUMS UP TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH.• ENSURING THE DELINQUENCY RATIO STAYS DOWNBEAT FOR HIS PORTFOLIO.• ASSESSING TRAINING NEEDS TO ACCELERATE HIS TEAM’S PERFORMANCE. • ENSURING MARKET PENETRATION IS ACCOMPLISHED EVERY MONTH.• IDENTIFYING UPCOMING MARKETS AND SETTING UP OPERATIONS IN THAT MARKET.• EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS, TEAM MANAGEMENT AND EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP SKILLS TO BE DISPLAYED. • INTRODUCE AND IMPLEMENT NEW MARKETING AND SALES PROMOTION INITIATIVES FOR THE REGION BY COORDINATING WITH PRODUCT TEAM Show less

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  AMBROS WORLD FOODS

  Feb 2017 - now

  Co-Founder

  WHO WE AREAMBROS’s extensive knowledge and expertise lie in F & B Management consulting and advisoryservices. Our main focus is to establish meaningful relationships with our customers, which we executeby adapting a 360° ‘Hands On’ approach. We specialize in creating internationally inspired Restaurantconcepts, revive and optimize existing brands and localize international restaurant concepts to theIndia.We are a young, dynamic team of highly experienced professionals, with a common goal – To develop,implement and execute F & B concepts into sustainable and profitable businesses. AMBROS’sphilosophy is about mapping the customer’s journey, in order to enhance their experience throughpositive engagement.And yes, we do have fun too; this is why we have named ourselves AMBROS, which is the Greek wordfor ‘DIVINE’. Our vision is to be the most innovative, creative, and engaging F&B Consultancy in theIndia. We are serious about adding DIVINESS to companies.OUR APPROACHIndividually and collectively, we have developed a reputation for creative excellence, and client service.We create restaurant concepts that move beyond the expected. The greatest testament to our work hasbeen our success in consistently strengthening our clients’ brands, sales and profitability. This is theresult of strong, focused and carefully implemented thinking, supported by detailed and process-drivenproject management with flawless execution.F&B MANAGEMENT CONSULTINGWe provide fresh, creative and sound business advice required to create exceptional and profitablefood and beverage concepts. Our extensive knowledge of the Restaurant industry ranges from conceptdevelopment and execution, reviving and optimizing existing brands more effectively and we assistinglocalizing international brands to the India.Our experience and portfolio ranges from quick service restaurants, to high-end establishments. Wehave helped successful concepts across the globe with numero Show less

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  The Studs - Sports Bar and Grill

  Apr 2017 - now

  Co-Founder

  The Studs - Sports Bar and Grill is India's No. 1 high-end sports bar concept by Abhilash menon & Miten Shah of Ambros World Foods. The high-end sports bar concept is currently present commonly in the UK & USA and Abhilash along with his partner brings this concept into the Indian market, a market with a strong sports fan base. The Studs enhances the sports bar experience with high-quality food and premium alcohol. We are also official screening partners of several UK Football Clubs.The brand has currently have 4 such outlets across Mumbai, Bangalore, Navi Mumbai, Nainital, etc. and have served over 1,00,000+ lakh guests collectively in Mumbai alone clocking revenues of over INR 6 cr. in 12 months all operated and executed from projects stage to floor operation level by Abhilash and his team . We have received significant media attention with coverage from 25+ media houses and have strong ratings with an average rating of 4.8 / 5 across all review platforms. We are also expanding internationally in Europe.The brand primarily franchise under the FOCO (Franchise Owned Company Operated) model. Post Covid looking for equity funding from VCs and Equity funders for a recession proof and pandemic proof F&B business plan with multi-level revenue centres under one roof for expansion plans in tier 2& 3 cities Pan India and also couple in global market. Abhilash and his management team brings together over 25+ years of International F&B experience across the fields :- • Create F&B concepts• Menu engineering & Mixology,• Restaurant Project planning & execution • Associating with leading real estate’s firms like JLL & CBRE • Recruitments & payroll management• Leasing & liaising with local authorities • Identify Market Opportunities• Manage Product Development• Direct Marketing and Promotion• Develop Financial Estimates• Create Business Plans and Documents.• Build and Lead Teams Show less