Work / Zareen's Restaurant & Catering Group
Three restaurants,brought back.
A Michelin-recognized Bay Area restaurant and catering group, growing from three to five locations, with three locations underperforming.
| Role | Operations General Manager |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2019 to 2025 |
| Scope | $30M group · four restaurants, a central kitchen and catering · 215 people |
| Growth | Three to five locations during my tenure |
Challenge
Three of the group's locations were underperforming while the group itself was growing. Labor didn't follow demand, food-cost counts had drifted, and service recovery depended on whoever was on shift.
What I did
Redesigned labor models, tightened food-cost controls and rebuilt service recovery. Wrote standard work and clearer shift handoffs. Built the catering and banquet operation and its service standards.
What it means
Store-level profit is measured inside the restaurants, before group overhead. The gain came from how the stores ran: labor, food cost and service.
Outcomes
The full sequence, including what I'd do differently, is written up in The First 90 Days of a Multi-Unit Turnaround.
Your operation
What needs tochange?
Three locations or thirty, the sequence starts the same way: an honest picture before anyone changes anything.
Hana Group
A portfolio that grew without losing control.
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