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A Bit About Me
Fascinated with the history of New Orleans and Absinthe, the famed green elixir, I began to develop Belle Époque Absinthe Lounge with the owners of The Old Absinthe House in June 2018. I oversaw concept development of the bar for the duration of the project, working in tandem with Chef Hayley VanVleet and Event Coordinator Marissa Alberts. When Belle Epoque opened in October 2019, I took on the role of Bar Director. I am passionate about the preservation of historic bars across America, and telling their beautiful stories.
Currently, I work on restaurant consulting projects, help with events and operations at Old Absinthe House. I bartend from time to time because I love curating a perfect guest experience.. With a literary backbone and a flare for the culinary, what I love to do, above all else, is create; and this applies to every aspect of life - from cocktails, to events, to menus, to new relationships, to surprising and memorable experiences.
Phone:
504-920-1464
Email:
About:
I grew up in Massachusetts and attended Emerson College, focusing in Writing, Literature, and Publishing.
After graduating, I gravitated toward the fast paced, kinetic world of the service industry over internships in publishing, but I always maintained my passion for communication and the written word. Fed up with the gritty New England winters, I fell in love with city of New Orleans, and moved there in 2013.
I started out at Victory bar, crafting drinks with an equal focus on balanced recipes and fresh ingredients and learning to tailor each drink to the imbiber’s tastes. Later, I joined the Booty's Street Food team, exploring international ingredients. Soon, I was then offered a bar management position at Apolline, where I directed a bar program based on excellent service and classic libations.
I spent 3 years leading the bar program at SoBou, the quirky cousin of Commander's Palace, exploring and experimenting in an environment that emphasized harmony between the culinary world and the cocktail world. There, I received many accolades for the program. I was named as one of FSR Magazine’s 40 Restaurant Stars on the Rise in 2017 and won WHERE YAT’s Redemption Rye Cocktail Mixoff and SOFAB State of the Art: American Independents Cocktail Competition. I took home judges and people’s choice for Creative Tequila Cocktail in 2018’s Top Taco competition and had drinks have been featured in Forbes, Saveur, Liquor.com, USAToday.com, Thrillist, Maxim, The Food Network, Supercall, and Marie Claire.
Management Experience
June 2018- 2021 (present)
February 2015 – June 2018
January 2014 - February 2015
Lead Project Director: Belle Époque Absinthe Lounge at the Old Absinthe House
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Created and designed restaurant concept tailored around historic identity of property and spirits served
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Project managed development of space including but not limited to interior design of space, bar design, brand support coordination, equipment and furniture acquisition, and restoration of historic items
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Managed the execution of concept, including research, copy for training manual, copy for menu, design of menu for print and online outlets, staging for promotional photos, and bar service plan
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Executed training and service program for a new hire staff
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Generated media attention including placement as top 10 finalist for Best New American Cocktail Bar from the Tales Of the Cocktail Foundation and generated media visibility in Punch Magazine, Gambit, Thrillist, Eater
Bar Manager: SoBou
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Product Management: Designed and executed seasonal cocktail menu, including costing and ingredient research, with quarterly sales assessments.
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Developed and executed retraining program for bar staff 3-4 times per year with very low turnover rate
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Oversaw PR for highly profitable bar program and received media attention from Bon Appetit, USA Today, Food Network, Supercall, DrinkHacker, Marie Claire, Paste Magazine, Town & Country, Liquor.com
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Created, designed, and assisted in executing 100+ person Events promoting seasonal themes & designed and executed cocktail specials to drive sales
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Participated and placed in multiple cocktail competitions to drive traffic to bar
Bar Manager: Apolline
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Product Management: Designed and executed seasonal cocktail menu
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Hired and trained new staff
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Trained and educated existing staff
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Managed inventory
consulting
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
March - July 2021
Developed cocktail menu and bar concept for The Brunswick Bar at the museum,
including implementation of inventory systems, COG and product training for staff members. Developed and executed events programming pertaining to outdoor markets including vendor outreach, communication, acquisition, logistics, and profitable bar program. Supervision day of set up, execution, and breakdown of the event, including vendor load out.
New Orleans Jazz Museum
Improvisations Gala
November 2020
Pre-production assistance, Cocktail recipe creation, batch production, brand support outreach, event setup, breakdown
and post-event inventory.
Farmstand Entertainment:
Farmstand Live Concert Series
January 2021-April 2021
Worked independently to create a full cocktail program tailored to event owner’s specifications, including, ingredient sourcing, menu graphics, copy, and signage. Staffed the event, oversaw physical setup, facilitated the network and POS setup, oversaw service breakdown.
My consulting work has allowed me to express my passion for research, creative problem solving,
and hospitality in many different ways,
from story-driven menu development to executing concert bar programs to creating templates for outdoor vendors markets.
I have experience in:
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assessing customer feedback
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historic research
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progressing relationships
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managing inventory
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organizing projects
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managing projects
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facilitating relationships with vendors
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coordinating events
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finding, hiring and training staff
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creating and designing menus
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developing new programming
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creating unique experiences
I am extremely motivated to achieve success, and I love to collaborate.
I provide professional consulting services
to hospitality clients
from New Orleans and beyond.
From strategic planning to innovative solutions, my focus is always on building an efficient and results-driven relationship. I’ll work with you to create a customized plan of action for yourself or your organization.
Contact me today
and see what we can conceptualize together!