Mark Strain2838 Hilly Haven, St. Louis, MO 63129 l c: (314) 581-8767 l mstrain0@yahoo.com

Summary

Highly motivated professional with over 10 years of experience in restaurant management for high volume, fast-casual, full service, and multi-unit restaurant companies. Proven ability to maximize profit through strategic planning, ensure company branding, and create an atmosphere of high employee morale through coaching and performance management. Reputation for strong leadership, ability to work under pressure, and outstanding integrity.

Highlights

• Experience managing all aspects of a multi-unit restaurant company• Adept in handling vendor relations and real estate negotiations• Strong emphasis on company branding and ensuring exceptional product quality standards • Providing outstanding hourly staff training and manager development with a focus on retention • Ability to maximize overall profit through strategic planning • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience using Excel, Word, P.O.S systems

(including back office systems), and Cloud based software

Experience

Executive Kitchen Manager Nov 2014-PresentThe Cheesecake Factory, St. Louis

• Directly responsible for successfully managing all kitchen operations including proper food handling and sanitation, ensuring superior product quality, ordering and accurate inventories, training and coaching, scheduling, etc.

• Acting as a direct liaison between corporate management and lower level management in the restaurant

• Working cohesively with all levels of management from both kitchen and dining room, including the general manager to ensure excellent overall guest experience

• Successfully improved restaurant profitability by increasing efficiencies from 90% to 95% • Successfully implemented strategies to increase overall guest satisfaction scores.

Assistant Executive Kitchen Manager Nov 2013- Nov 14The Cheesecake Factory, St. Louis

• Acted as direct assistant to the Executive Kitchen Manager• Completed all 5 levels of KM training and received L5 certification in less than one year• Recognized for outstanding leadership and attended the Emerging Leaders Program

St. Louis Area Operations Manager May 2008 - Nov 2013Little Caesars, St. Louis

• Directly responsible for ensuring overall operations of a multi-unit restaurant company including proper food handling and sanitation, ensuring superior product quality, ordering and accurate inventories, training and coaching, scheduling, etc.

• Worked directly with owners to successfully open 4 new locations within one year• Maintained two of the highest sales volume locations in St. Louis • Increased sales at a lower volume location over 25% in two years• Planned print advertising, marketing, and in store sales strategies to increase profitability • Successfully created action plans to improve efficiency and productivity

Kitchen Manager Sept 2005- May 2008The Cheesecake Factory, St. Louis

• Worked under AEKM and EKM to ensure each shift ran efficiently • Provided training for kitchen staff to ensure excellent product quality • Assisted EKM with inventory and scheduling

Education:

Harris-Stowe State CollegeSt. Louis, MO

Specialized Training and Recognition:

Emerging Leaders Program The Cheesecake Factory, Calabasas, CA

L5 KM Certification The Cheesecake Factory, Calabasas, CA

KM Acceleration Program The Cheesecake Factory, Calabasas, CA

ServSafe Certified