From the Floor to Operations: Mollie’s Story at LBL

In hospitality, there is rarely a quiet moment to stop and reflect, and especially in Blackpool, the pace and speed of hospitality is constant. From busy weekends on the prom, theatre crowds leaving the Winter Gardens, to the loyal locals who keep our venues alive and thriving even through the darker months of the year, hospitality is built on long shifts, the ability to make quick decisions and to be able to adapt with a moment’s notice.

Across Blackpool and the wider North West, hospitality has always relied on teams who know how to keep things moving. People who can read a room, steady a situation during a chaotic service, and still deliver the kind of experience that keeps customers coming back. Within those teams, women play a huge role, behind the bar, on the pass, managing rotas, dealing with suppliers, managing accounts, and solving problems before anyone else even knows they exist.

At LBL, that story is reflected clearly in the journey of our Operations Manager, Mollie. Mollie joined us right at the beginning of the LBL journey, starting as a manager at Dirty Blondes in December 2019. As the business has grown over the past several years, she has grown with it. Like most roles in hospitality, her position today isn’t defined by a single task. Operations touches every part of the business, which means no two days ever really look the same.

“I work with venue management to make sure the operations of the venues are as efficient and as smooth as possible,” she says. “That could mean anything from collecting glasses on a busy Saturday, building spreadsheets as tools for the management teams or overseeing the p&l reports to ensure the venues are operating as efficiently as possible.”

It’s that willingness to do whatever the situation requires that often defines strong hospitality professionals. Leadership in this industry rarely comes from standing back, it comes from stepping in. Mollie’s progression within LBL reflects the reality of how many hospitality careers develop: through experience, persistence and learning on the job.

“I started as a manager under Jake at Dirty Blondes and as we’ve grown I’ve been lucky enough to develop myself along the way,” she says. “I’ve grown with and believed in the business, supported the visions and somehow ended up here, but it hasn’t come without hard work in between and plenty of sleepless nights.”

One of the most important lessons she’s learned has come directly from those challenges. “Unexpectedly, I’ve learnt that confidence doesn’t come before the challenge, it comes because of it,” she says. “Every busy shift, difficult conversation and new responsibility has stretched me more than I expected.”

For many women working in hospitality, particularly in busy towns like Blackpool, that growth happens quickly. “It’s not always been easy,” Mollie says. “Blackpool hospitality can be intense, particularly during peak season. But it builds confidence and character, you learn from the beginning how to handle groups of drunk people that aren’t always so nice.”

Those early experiences shape how people develop within the industry. Over time, resilience turns into leadership. “Now being in the position I am, things have changed compared to when I first started in hospitality,” she explains. “I feel respected in the community and proud to be part of hospitality in Blackpool.”

Like the industry itself, Mollie’s focus has also shifted as the business has grown. Increasingly, she finds herself drawn to the people side of hospitality, supporting teams, building culture and helping others develop their careers. Looking ahead, she believes the future of hospitality will continue to evolve, but without losing what makes the industry special.

“I think the future will embrace new technologies,” she says. “But we’ll never be able to lose the human connection in hospitality. Guests value experiences more now, and I think that will only develop further.”

And for women looking to start their own careers in the industry, her advice is simple. “Be strong, be fierce and go and get what you want. There’s a lot of competition out there, especially when you’re starting out, but if you put the hours and the hard work in, your strengths will stand out.”

As Blackpool continues to evolve and invest in its hospitality scene, the future of the industry will be shaped by people willing to do exactly that. People like Mollie, building careers, leading teams and helping shape what hospitality looks like next, one shift at a time.