Leon Winfield

Background

About Leon Winfield

Experienced hospitality professional currently operating as a General Manager for Five Guys. I have the privilege of leading a team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about delivering exceptional dining experiences. With over 12 years in the hospitality industry, my journey has been fueled by a commitment to people – both our valued guests and our incredible staff.My career and leadership style has been based on 3 essential principles that underpin my strategy when building and managing high performing restaurant teams- I believe that a restaurant’s success is built on the strength of its people. By fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment, I empower our team to excel and grow, resulting in outstanding service and high employee satisfaction. Hospitality is renown for its high labour turnover but my relentless focus on developing my people to the best of their abilities and management positions, has seen the restaurants I manage well within company benchmark averages. With a keen eye for detail and a strategic mindset, I ensure that our operations run profitably and efficiently. Q1 of 2024, saw us beat budget LFL sales on LY by 25% on 30% less sales (new store opening LY and sales levelling out). This is due to P+L optimisation and building management knowledge around finances - without sacrificing the customer experience. Just one of many examples throughout my career. Creating memorable dining experiences is what I am passionate about. I achieve this in my restaurants through fine tuning my employee skills and empowering my amazing people to create those memorable moments. Not only that, we exceed in exciting our 'invisible' customers too through our delivery partners. Our current 12 week average stands at 90% customer satisfaction across all platforms, which is testament to the work me and my team put in to delivering excellent service to all that decide to eat with us.My passion for hospitality extends beyond the walls of our restaurants. I am an advocate for industry best practices and continuous learning, always seeking new ways to innovate and elevate the dining experience.