The Hospitality Years: The P&L of Service

I returned from my travels and found myself on Clearwater Beach, sitting with my best friend, who was working as a manager for Ruby Tuesday restaurants. I had a backpack full of memories and a stack of bills to pay. He made a compelling argument: Ruby Tuesday wouldn’t just give me a job; they would pay me to learn the P&L part of the business, which would greatly aid my professional sales transition. I took the interview, and for the next four years, I immersed myself in the 'front of house' and 'back of house' synergy of high-volume restaurants, gaining valuable insights into leadership in hospitality and mastering the nuances of restaurant management.

During my tenure in restaurant management, I worked under two General Managers who couldn't have been more different. The 'Roll-up-the-Sleeves' Leader was a chain-smoking, coffee-chugging restaurant vet who had been beaten down by the industry. He worked harder than anyone else but struggled with delegation. He taught me the value of grit, as well as the physical and emotional pitfalls of not working 'smart.' On the other hand, the 'Strategic Delegator,' my second GM, rarely rolled up his sleeves. He was a mentor who understood leadership in hospitality from a 30,000-foot view. He taught me that effective leadership isn't just about doing the work; it’s about empowering others to excel. These two extremes helped me forge my own 'Player-Coach' style: always be ready to work harder than anyone in the room while being smart enough to ensure the weight doesn't always have to fall on my shoulders alone, especially during my professional sales transition.

As a Team One Leader and manager for Ruby Tuesday, I approached every shift with a commitment to leadership in hospitality, starting with the mantra: “Tight floors, tight side stations, pre-bus your tables, wow your guests, and everyone is a shopper.” In the realm of restaurant management, the guiding principle is always to respond with, 'The answer is Yes! What’s the question?' Ensuring every guest had an amazing experience was key to a successful professional sales transition.

Hospitality is notorious for its 'work hard, play hard' mentality, but that eventually takes its toll. Nights, weekends, and holidays often clashed with my desire for a sustainable family life. When I met my wife, my priorities shifted. I aspired to be a husband and a father who was present for my children, rather than just a manager tethered to the four walls of a restaurant. It was time to leverage the leadership in hospitality I had developed and make a professional sales transition into a new arena.

If you're interested in my leadership in hospitality experience or my professional sales transition, feel free to request a copy of my resume by simply emailing me at findchadfoster@gmail.com.