W(o)W: Boss Up with Shannon Lopez

Want to be a boss? Shannon Lopez tells all about her life as a manager of SupperClub, a modern fine dining, Vegas-inspired restaurant on Perkins Road, and activist for women in the restaurant industry to rise up!

Being a full-time manager in the service industry can make for a hectic life, and being a mother makes it 10 times harder. Still, Shannon finds a way to do it all. Her day starts by preparing her two kids for school before she starts working from home at 11, preparing her team and communicating shift needs with them.

She gets to SupperClub a couple of hours early, around 2 p.m., to be ready for service at 5 p.m. when the doors open to the guests. As her staff trickles in, she is assigning polishing duties for the silver and glassware, making sure to upkeep the best standard. While they work on that, she goes over the guest list for the night, noting who is a first-time guest, VIP, reviewing special requests and much more.

Shannon’s main focus for her team is to keep an eye on their shared vision, curating a unique dining experience. Always appreciative of her team, she assists them in whatever they need on shift and helps them create memorable experiences for themselves and the guests. Her goal, especially during the staff’s pre-shift meeting, is to inspire, educate and direct.

“My role is to coach the team and create relationships with our guests. The very best athletes have coaches, because a coach is able to see a perspective the athlete can not. I focus on the little things that can get lost in the hustle of the shift. I seek problems before they are problems.”

She usually gets home at around 1 a.m., gives her sleeping kids a kiss and thinks about ways she and her team can improve.

Although she takes on crazy hours and long nights, she still takes time to celebrate and love her family, the most important people in her life.

Shannon decided to put her career on hold when her children came into her life. She’s been waiting to get back into the swing of the restaurant industry. With SupperClub being a year in now, she has returned to her dreams. “My work here is far from finished. It’s just the beginning, and I can't wait to see where we take it.” 

She got her girl-boss attitude from Vicky Cottrell, her old boss who started as a hostess and moved up to Area Director of Operations at The Cheesecake Factory.  “She ran a tight ship but inspired me every day with her passion and drive. She was direct but kind, she was knowledgeable but never pretentious. She was a true leader.” In addition to Cottrell, Lopez looks up to other women such as CEO of Smalls Sliders Maria Rivera for navigating a male-dominated industry like a boss; Mackenzie Landry who prioritizes the small details at SupperClub; Abby Hamilton for her philanthropic efforts and, of course, the mothers who serve and bartend who help make their jobs a reality. 

Shannon’s advice to women:

Seek out mentorship and empower other women. Find a mentor, listen, learn, and teach others. Always practice extreme ownership in everything you do. Own you failure along with your successes.

When handling fear like being a powerful woman in a male-dominated industry, Shannon shrugs on her favorite blue double-breasted blazer dress and puts her best foot forward. She believes that even if you are scared of something, do it. “If your dreams and goals don't frighten you, they aren't big enough. Feel the fear and do it anyway,” she said.

As she builds her restaurant, Shannon is set to build a community as well. She is adamant to build relationships everywhere she goes, especially at work. Between her staff, guests, and vendors, Shannon is always looking to create stronger bonds and be a supporter of her people. 

As she continues to do what she loves, her goals are ever-expanding. Shannon strives to be a leader for other women leaders, to develop others as she has been able to develop. She aims for her hustle at SupperClub to be THE place to be and work at. Lastly, Lopez wants to inspire women in the food service industry, to show them how important it is to recognize their potential and to refuse to be overlooked. 

Keep up with Shannon on her Instagram @Shannon_Marie_Lopez and support her hustle by making a SupperClub reservation here!