Fiona Laroche
Bar Manager | Beverage Program Development & Hospitality Operations
Ottawa
Professional Summary
Bar manager with a comprehensive background in Ottawa's dining and cocktail scene, specializing in beverage cost control, staff coaching, and cocktail menu design. Demonstrated success in lowering pouring shrinkage, sustaining healthy beverage margins, and building guest-focused front-of-house teams in high-volume settings.
Professional Experience
Copper & Thistle Lounge
Ottawa, ON
Bar Manager
Mar 2022 – Present
- Oversee day-to-day front-of-house operations, beverage inventory, and bar staff scheduling for a 120-seat high-volume downtown venue.
- Reduced pouring variance from 9.2% to 3.8% over twelve months by implementing digital scale inventory audits and standardized batching guides.
- Supervise and mentor a team of 14 bartenders, barbacks, and floor servers, conducting monthly tasting trainings and speed-of-service drills.
- Partner with regional Ontario craft distilleries and cideries to maintain a rotating 18-tap selection and seasonal cocktail list that grew beverage sales by 14% year-over-year.
- Maintain full compliance with AGCO regulations, municipal health codes, and venue safety standards.
Rideau Social Tavern
Ottawa, ON
Assistant Bar Manager
Sep 2018 – Feb 2022
- Managed beverage prep, nightly cash reconciliations, and bar shift supervision across busy dinner and late-night weekend shifts.
- Trained 8 incoming bartenders on cocktail construction, point-of-sale workflows, and responsible service standards under Ontario Smart Serve.
- Curated signature seasonal cocktail menus each quarter, balancing recipe development against targeted beverage pour costs below 21%.
- Coordinated monthly supplier orders for spirits, draught kegs, and specialty barware, cutting emergency replenishment orders by half.
Boreal Hearth Bistro
Ottawa, ON
Lead Bartender
May 2014 – Aug 2018
- Prepared classic and custom cocktails in a fast-paced 90-seat dining room and 16-seat bar setting.
- Managed weekly cellar counts and received draught beer deliveries, documenting keg rotation and tap line maintenance schedules.
- Assisted the beverage supervisor with cocktail costing spreadsheets and monthly inventory spreadsheets.
Education
Algonquin College
Ontario College Diploma · Hospitality - Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management · Ottawa, ON · Honours · Sep 2007 – Apr 2009
Completed coursework covering beverage operations, food safety compliance, hospitality accounting, and dining room management.
Key Initiatives
Bar Prep and Batching Standardization Project
Sep 2023 – Feb 2024
- Standardized house-made syrups, infusions, and clarified citrus prep into central batch sheets, reducing per-cocktail ticket assembly times during peak evening hours by 35 seconds.
- Documented allergen specifications and ingredient shelf lives into a kitchen-facing bar manual to support smooth interdepartmental communication.
Core Competencies
Beverage Inventory Control
Cocktail Program Development
Staff Scheduling & Supervision
Liquor Cost Accounting
POS Systems (TouchBistro, 7shifts)
Ontario Liquor Compliance (AGCO)
Draught Line & Cellar Maintenance
Vendor & Distributor Negotiation
Staff Training & Onboarding
Service Speed & Quality Assurance
Languages
English
C2
French
B2
Certifications
Smart Serve Certification
Smart Serve Ontario · Apr 2018
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits
Wine & Spirit Education Trust · Nov 2021
Food Handler Certification
City of Ottawa Public Health · May 2024
Community Involvement
Capital Heritage Festival
Ottawa, ON · Jul 2025 – Jul 2025
- Volunteer Beverage Station Coordinator
- Assisted beverage logistics and coordinated volunteer hydration and service stations during the multi-day regional music festival.