Ricardo Rivera

About Ricardo Rivera

At Tekila Group, I lead the financial operations for a growing, multi-location restaurant business. I stepped into this role to bring structure, clarity, and strategy to the numbers — and to help a family-owned group operate with the discipline of a high-performing company.In the last year, I’ve rebuilt our systems from the ground up — centralizing invoice management, improving payroll processes, and rolling out weekly KPI tracking across all locations. We’ve gone from reactive to proactive: reducing liquor costs by 4%, identifying cost-saving opportunities in vendor contracts, and introducing bonus structures that tie performance to results.With a background in Accounting and Finance from the University of Memphis and three years of hands-on restaurant management experience, I bring both front-line insight and financial discipline to the table. My goal is simple: to help restaurant operators make smarter decisions, grow profitably, and actually understand where their money is going.I’m passionate about transforming complex data into clear action — and building systems that help businesses scale.

Experience

1. Controller

   Tekila Restaurant Group

   Mar 2025 — Present · Memphis, TN, US

   Oversee financial operations for a $10M+ multi-location restaurant group with 200+ employees, ensuring standardized processes across all restaurants.• Implemented Restaurant365 across locations, cutting reconciliation time by 30% and creating real-time visibility into sales, payroll, and expenses.• Developed and enforced clear budget goals, tracked key financial metrics, and analyzed costs to reduce prime costs toward 60–65% targets and boost profitability.• Negotiated vendor contracts, securing more competitive pricing and rebates while reducing unnecessary expenses.• Streamlined payroll and scheduling processes to control labor costs without sacrificing service quality.• Established internal safeguards to ensure taxes, audits, and reporting are done accurately, preventing fraud or mismanagement.• Partner closely with ownership and leadership to align financial strategy with business growth, including the opening of two new concepts in 2025.

Education

• Audencia

  Business Administration and Management, General

• University of Memphis

  Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Accounting and Finance