Ben’s passion around food and drink was evident from his childhood in New Orleans, his birthplace, where he eagerly absorbed the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of that unique American city. His family moved upriver to Minneapolis/St. Paul when he was six, but his love for all things culinary never waned. In high school, he worked at several St. Paul restaurants as dishwasher, garde manger, and line cook. After graduating from Cornell University’s prestigious School of Hotel Administration where he concentrated in food and beverage management, Ben took a position with J. Alexander’s, an upscale casual chain of restaurants with 33 locations, five of them in Florida. At 24, he became the youngest General Manager in the company’s history when he assumed responsibility for managing the Atlanta restaurant. He moved to Plantation, Florida to oversee that location in 2009 and grew it to be the highest grossing in the company.

In 2015, he joined Beaker & Gray, an upscale small-plates concept in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood as opening General Manager. In addition to designing and implementing the service model, constructing the Point of Sale framework, and generating all fiscal reporting for ownership, Ben also was called upon for restaurant design, culinary, and work-flow assistance. His commitment to the total guest experience was relentless.  In their first year of operations, not only did Beaker & Gray remain profitable, but it gained notoriety for being a must-visit restaurant in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

Hospitality encompasses food, drink, service, environment, and the intangible “feel” of an outlet. Ben is committed to creating hospitable and profitable food and beverage operations for every client he works with.