Chicago, Illinois, United States
Hospitality executive with 35+ years of leadership across specialty coffee, full-service restaurants, multi-unit foodservice, and luxury retail. I’ve built businesses from the ground up, scaled divisions from $30M to $250M+, and developed brands, teams, and operating systems that endure. At Nordstrom, I launched and led the Specialty Coffee division — growing it to an $80M enterprise with 124 locations across the U.S. and Canada. I developed a proprietary roasted coffee brand, converted the entire portfolio to 100% ethically sourced coffees, and pioneered a year-round women-produced coffee inclusion program that directed premiums directly to origin farms. I also personally hired 22 of the 37 senior executives who went on to lead the broader Nordstrom Restaurant Division. Before and after Nordstrom, I’ve led operations for The Levy Restaurants (Walt Disney World, McCormick Place, Chicago restaurants), Phil Stefani Restaurants, Green Thumb Industries (GTI), and Infuse Hospitality — bringing the same focus on operational clarity, financial performance, and people development to every organization. Today I run Side by Side Advisors, an independent consultancy serving hospitality, restaurant, specialty coffee, and retail clients. I also serve in advisory and project management capacities with Morrissey Hospitality. What drives me: building things that last — great teams, distinctive brands, and customer experiences worth returning for. 📍 Chicago, IL 📧 [email protected] 📞 206.375.7413
• Led the successful opening of new restaurant locations, ensuring all operational needs were met. • Managed hiring, training, and development of staff to uphold service standards and expectations. • Established and maintained preopening and post-opening financial forecasts to ensure budget adherence. • Collaborated on menu development and beverage programs to enhance the overall dining experience.
Deliver executive-level strategic advisory and project management to senior leadership across hospitality and F&B operations, with emphasis on operational excellence and team performance.
Hospitality/Specialty Coffee/Restaurant/Retail Advisor
Founded an executive advisory and coaching practice serving hospitality, restaurant, specialty coffee, and retail clients on leadership effectiveness, operational strategy, brand development, and revenue growth.
Directed national operational strategy and service standards across 20+ corporate accounts; mentored regional operations teams to align execution with organizational objectives.
Held full P&L responsibility for six Northern Illinois locations; delivered $160M+ in annual sales (25%+ of total company revenue) with 30%+ YOY growth.
Led a national team of 3 Divisional Managers and 9 Regional Managers; scaled the Specialty Coffee division from launch to $80M in annual revenue across 124 locations.