Successful restaurant operations require more than delivering good food and service. Operators must develop their people, protect margins, build relevant beverage programs, and consistently create experiences that encourage guests to return.

Shaina Nestor, Managing Partner and Director of Operations at Gibsons Restaurant Group, works across these different areas while keeping the guest at the center of every operational decision.

Founded in 1989 with Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on Rush Street, Gibsons Restaurant Group operates a portfolio that includes Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House, LUXBAR, Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar, Gibsons Italia, The BOATHOUSE Orlando, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House, Bazaar Meat Chicago and Bar Mar.

Sommelier Business spoke with Nestor about how she trains new employees, grows beverage sales, improves profitability, evaluates wine programs, and builds productive relationships with suppliers. Her answers offer an actionable operating framework for restaurant leaders, beverage directors, and sommeliers.

Tell us about yourself and your current role in little detail 

I currently serve as Managing Partner and Director of Operations for Gibsons Restaurant Group, where I oversee restaurant operations with a strong focus on leadership, team development, service standards, and the overall guest experience. My role involves working closely with our management and culinary teams to ensure we consistently deliver the level of hospitality our guests expect from Gibsons. I am passionate about developing people, building strong restaurant cultures, and creating memorable dining experiences where exceptional food, wine, service, and hospitality all come together.

How I would train my new staff member in their first 7 days after they join.

The first seven days are critical because they set the tone for how a new team member views the restaurant, our culture, and our expectations. I would begin with an introduction to our company values, hospitality philosophy, and service standards so they understand not only what we do, but why we do it.

From there, I believe strongly in hands-on training. I would have them shadow experienced team members, learn the menu and beverage program, taste key dishes and wines, and become comfortable with the steps of service and our approach to guest interaction. Each day should build on the previous one, with clear expectations, coaching, and opportunities to ask questions.

I would also check in with them personally throughout that first week. Training is not just about teaching procedures; it is about building confidence and making someone feel part of the team. By the end of seven days, I want a new employee to understand our standards, feel supported by their leaders and peers, and be excited about representing the restaurant and creating exceptional experiences for our customers.

What methods do you use to grow beverage sales in your business or ideas you may have? Please explain with examples and how your ideas resulted in growth in beverage sales.

I believe the most effective way to grow beverage sales is through education, engagement, and creating excitement around the beverage program. One of my biggest focuses is making sure the service team is knowledgeable and confident. We conduct tastings and pre-shift education so servers understand the wines, cocktails, and spirits they are recommending and can speak about them naturally rather than simply trying to “sell” something.

I also encourage the team to begin the beverage conversation early in the dining experience. For example, suggesting a glass of Champagne or a signature cocktail while guests are looking at the menu creates an immediate opportunity, followed by thoughtful wine recommendations that complement what they order. Offering wines at different price points and explaining why a particular bottle pairs well with the meal helps guests feel that the recommendation is personalized rather than sales-driven.

We also create excitement through seasonal cocktails, featured wines, special pours, and food-and-wine pairings. When we introduce a new or featured beverage, we have the staff taste it and give them a simple story and talking points they can comfortably share with guests.

These methods have resulted in stronger beverage sales because an educated and enthusiastic team creates more confident recommendations. My philosophy is that beverage sales grow organically when we focus first on enhancing the guest experience. When guests trust the recommendation and discover something they enjoy, they are more likely to order another glass, explore a bottle, and return for the experience again.

What methods do you use to grow net profits? For example, how do you save costs, increase margins, and create efficiency? Where do you normally look first?

When looking to grow net profit, I first focus on the areas that can have the greatest impact without compromising the guest experience. I start by reviewing sales, labor, cost of goods, purchasing, waste, and product mix to identify where opportunities exist.

Labor efficiency is a major focus. I look closely at scheduling based on business levels and productivity while making sure we maintain the staffing necessary to deliver exceptional service. On the cost side, I work with our culinary and beverage teams to monitor purchasing, inventory, portioning, waste, and vendor pricing. Small improvements in these areas can have a significant impact over time.

I also believe increasing profitability is not simply about cutting costs. Growing revenue and improving margins are equally important. We focus on menu engineering, beverage sales, strategic pricing, private dining, and maximizing high-margin opportunities.

Most importantly, I involve the management team in understanding the financial performance of the restaurant. When leaders understand the numbers and how their daily decisions affect profitability, they become better operators. The goal is always to run a disciplined, efficient business while protecting the quality, hospitality, and experience that keep our guests returning.

How do you elevate guest experience?

I believe elevating the guest experience is about creating memorable moments that feel natural, personal, and effortless. Great hospitality goes beyond excellent food and service—it is about understanding what each guest needs and making them feel genuinely cared for

1. Anticipating needs before the guest asks.

I train teams to observe and listen carefully. Whether it is recognizing that a guest is celebrating something special, noticing the pace they prefer, remembering a favorite wine, or simply knowing when to give them space, anticipating needs creates a level of hospitality that feels intuitive rather than transactional

2. Personalizing the experience

Every guest is different. I encourage my teams to learn something about the people at the table and use that information appropriately. A returning guest being welcomed by name, having their preferred table recognized, or being offered a wine based on something they enjoyed on their previous visit can turn a good dinner into a relationship.

3. Creating memorable moments

Elevating an experience does not necessarily mean giving something away. It can be a thoughtful wine recommendation, sharing the story behind a dish, introducing a guest to the chef or sommelier, recognizing a milestone, or simply providing exceptionally warm and genuine attention. Often, the smallest personalized gesture is what a guest remembers most

4. Empowering the team to recover an experience immediately

Things occasionally go wrong in restaurants. What matters is how quickly and sincerely we respond. I empower managers and staff to recognize disappointment, take ownership, and find an appropriate solution without making the guest work for it. A well-handled recovery can actually build greater loyalty than an experience where nothing went wrong

5. Building a culture where hospitality comes from everyone

Guest experience cannot depend solely on the server. From the host greeting a guest at the door to the bartender, support staff, culinary team, managers, and the final goodbye, every interaction matters. I spend significant time coaching teams to understand that they are not simply completing tasks—they are creating an experience. When that philosophy becomes part of the culture, guests can feel the difference

How can suppliers work with you to drive sales?

I believe the best supplier relationships have to be a two-way street. I love giving business to people who genuinely care about our success and understand the values we have as a company. The strongest vendor relationships are not simply about buying and selling products—they are true partnerships.

Our core values center around quality, hospitality, value, and family, and those are the same things we need to see reflected in our supplier relationships. Ultimately, everything we purchase has to allow us to pass those values along to our guests.

Suppliers can help drive sales by understanding our restaurants and our customers, bringing us products that are both exciting and relevant, educating our teams, helping us create unique programming and experiences, and working collaboratively with us to find opportunities that make sense for both sides.

I also value suppliers who show up—not only when they are trying to sell something, but when we need support, education, creative ideas, or solutions. In return, when a supplier is invested in us and consistently delivers quality, value, and partnership, I want to invest in them.

The relationship we have with our vendors should mimic the relationship we want to have with our guests: built on trust, consistency, hospitality, value, and a genuine desire for each other to succeed. When that relationship works, everybody wins—the supplier, the restaurant, our team, and most importantly, the guest.

pleasures.

About Gibsons: Founded in 1989 with the iconic Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on Rush Street, Gibsons Restaurant Group has been dedicated to providing unmatched hospitality, quality, and value to its customers. Gibsons Restaurant Group owns and operates these distinguished concepts: Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House, LUXBAR, Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar, Gibsons Italia, The BOATHOUSE Orlando, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House (on behalf of Rivers Casino), Bazaar Meat Chicago, and Bar Mar.

What are the four main things you focus on daily?

1. The Guest. Everything starts with the guest. Are they happy? Are we anticipating their needs? Are we delivering the quality, value, and hospitality they came to us for? I never want success or a busy restaurant to make us complacent. We have to earn the guest every single day.

2. Our People. I spend a tremendous amount of time developing and supporting our teams. I want people to feel valued, challenged, and proud of where they work. When you take care of your people, they are much better equipped to genuinely take care of your guests.

3. The Business. Great hospitality and strong financial performance have to work together. Every day I am looking at sales, labor, costs, beverage performance, profitability, and opportunities for growth. My responsibility is to protect both the guest experience and the health of the business.

4. Getting Better. I believe you have to walk in humbly every day. No matter how successful yesterday was, there is always something we can improve today. I ask questions, listen to our guests and teams, stay aware of what is happening in our industry, and continually look for ways to remain relevant.

If we take care of our guests, develop our people, protect the business, and never stop trying to improve, everything else tends to follow.

What are the points you look at when selecting a new wine for your wine program?

When selecting a new wine for the program, I look at several things: quality, value, relevance, versatility, and what our customers actually want to drink.

Quality and Value. The wine has to deliver for the price. Value does not necessarily mean inexpensive—it means the customer should feel that what is in the glass or bottle is worth what they are paying for it.

Current Trends. I pay close attention to what is happening in the wine world and what customers are becoming interested in. Drinking habits change, regions gain momentum, new varietals become more familiar, and styles evolve. A strong wine program has to stay current and relevant without simply chasing every trend.

Our Customer. I always think about who is sitting in our restaurants. What are they ordering? What price points are comfortable for them? What are they asking for that we may not currently have? The wine list should be built around the customer rather than around what we think will impress other wine professionals.

What I Personally Like to Drink. I believe I am a prime target of our customer base, so I absolutely want wines on the list that I would be excited to order myself. I trust my own palate and instincts as a customer, while still making sure the list offers enough diversity to appeal to many different tastes.

Balance and Purpose. Every wine should have a reason for being on the list. I look at how it fits with our food, whether it fills a gap, how it complements the rest of the selection, and whether the team can confidently sell it.

Ultimately, I want a wine program that is exciting but approachable. It should reflect what is happening in the market while staying true to who we are at Gibsons Restaurant Group. Most importantly, it should give our customers wines they genuinely want to drink.

According to you, what makes a good sommelier, and what qualities do you look for when hiring a sommelier?

A great sommelier certainly needs strong wine knowledge, but for me, knowledge is only the beginning. When I am hiring a sommelier, I am looking just as closely at hospitality, approachability, emotional intelligence, salesmanship, and the ability to read the customer.

Hospitality. First and foremost, you have to genuinely enjoy taking care of people. The role is not about demonstrating how much you know about wine. It is about using that knowledge to enhance the customer’s experience.

The Ability to Read the Customer. A great sommelier knows when a customer wants to have an in-depth conversation about Burgundy and when they simply want a delicious bottle of wine at a comfortable price point. Being able to recognize that difference is incredibly important.

Approachability. Wine can be intimidating, and a sommelier should never make a customer feel uncomfortable about what they know— or don’t know. I look for someone who can take complicated wine knowledge and communicate it in a way that is warm, simple, and engaging.

Curiosity and Humility. The wine world is enormous, and nobody ever knows everything. The best sommeliers I have worked with are constantly tasting, reading, asking questions, and learning. They are confident in their knowledge but humble enough to know there is always more to discover.

Ultimately, I look for someone who understands that the wine is there to serve the experience— not the other way around. If the customer leaves happy, remembers the wine, trusts your recommendation, and wants to come back, then you have done your job exceptionally well.

What do you look for when you have to evaluate the effectiveness of the wine program?

When I evaluate the effectiveness of a wine program, I look at both the numbers and what our customers are telling us. Customer growth, sales performance, repeat business, and customer feedback are all important indicators.

Customer Growth and Cover Counts. One of the strongest measures for me is whether more people are coming through the door. When cover counts are growing, and customers continue to return, it tells me that our overall offerings are resonating with them. The wine program is an important part of that experience.

Sales and Product Mix. I look at beverage sales, wine sales per customer, bottle versus by-the-glass performance, price points, and which wines are actually moving. A wine list can look incredible on paper, but ultimately the customer has to want to drink what we are offering.

Customer Feedback. I believe strongly in talking to customers. I want to know what they are drinking, what they love, what they are asking for, and what keeps bringing them back. Some of the most valuable information I receive does not come from a report—it comes from conversations in the dining room.

Repeat Business. I also pay attention to what customers reorder. When someone comes back specifically looking for a wine they discovered with us, or trusts us enough to ask for another recommendation, that tells me we are building a relationship rather than simply making a sale.

Ultimately, an effective wine program should be financially successful, approachable, relevant, and continually evolving with the customer. When cover counts are growing, wine sales are strong, and customers are excited about what we are offering and keep coming back, those are some of the best indicators that the program is working.

An Operations Framework Restaurant Leaders Can Use

Nestor’s approach can be translated into a practical operating framework built around four priorities:

- Start with the guest and evaluate every operational decision against its effect on the experience.
- Develop employees through culture, hands-on training, regular education, and consistent coaching.
- Protect profitability by examining labor, purchasing, inventory, waste, pricing, product mix, and revenue opportunities together.
- Measure the wine program through sales data, customer behavior, direct feedback, and repeat business.

The central lesson is that hospitality and profitability should not be treated as opposing goals. An educated team makes stronger recommendations. Relevant products are easier to sell. Thoughtful service builds trust. Better supplier partnerships create stronger programming. When these areas work together, the restaurant can improve beverage revenue and margins while giving guests more reasons to return.

Also Read:
How Restaurants Can Grow Beverage Sales Without Compromising Hospitality
How To Build A Wine Discovery Ladder That Encourages Guests To Explore
What Sommeliers Need to Do in the Next Six Weeks to Build Strong Holiday Beverage Sales