Brian Bollinger

Going into college at K-State I had my mind set on Hotel and Restaurant Management, but didn’t know if I would want to do something else. I decided to begin with Open Option and took pre-requisite classes that were required for Hotel and Restaurant Management. Having a short time in Open Option made me realize I did want to do Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Hospitality Management Society
Wildcats Forever

We were required to do two internships before graduation. My first internship I went to Pocatello, Idaho in the summer of 2007 to help open a hotel. My second internship I went to Denver, Colorado in the summer of 2009 to work with Aramark at Coors Field. Before attending K-State I had experience in the hotel industry.

A recruiter with Aramark came to K-State and I set up a time to meet with her and she offered me the internship in Denver, CO. Not too long after I completed my internship I was offered a management position with Aramark in Houston, TX for after graduating from K-State. I went through a program called Pathways To Leadership for the first three months with Aramark.

My advice is to interview with companies so you can get a good feel for what’s all out there. Network with as many people as you can and you can never network with too many people. They always say, “It’s not what you know, It’s who you know.” Spend time searching on the internet and research companies that you are interested in.

Get to work in the morning, review the staff list for the day, get caught up on email, begin prep for the day, submit a truck order, clean, set up for the day, open for business at 10am, put all Crew in place, operate as normal, and do end of shift tasks prior to leaving.

The culture and the people I work with. Work-life balance and having fun.

Adjusting to business flow.

Work hard, have fun, and enjoy what you do.

Get experience prior to going to college, willing to relocate after graduating, being flexible, working hard, helping out others, networking, and looking to get better every day.

I moved to Houston, TX where I didn’t know anyone. It’s almost like starting over again, but you just work hard and meet new people. You adjust your schedule around your work schedule.

Graduating from Kansas State University. No one can ever take that away from me.