From scraping gum beneath restaurant tables at age four to owning and operating multiple restaurants, hospitality has always been part of my DNA.

I was born into the restaurant business. My earliest memories are of my family’s Meadows Diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where my father put me to work at just four years old. My first assignment wasn’t glamorous—scraping chewing gum from underneath tables and off the floors. Eventually, I earned a promotion to the soda machine!

Those early years taught me lessons that no classroom could provide: hard work, customer service, attention to detail, and the importance of making every guest feel welcome.

My family’s Pumptown Corners Restaurant in Edison, New Jersey, introduced me to fine dining and helped develop the skills that would later serve me as an independent restaurateur.

Over the decades, my hospitality journey has included Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse, Manhattan Steak House, Family Tavola, Beach Bites, and other restaurant ventures.

But for me, owning a restaurant was never simply about serving food. It was about creating an experience.

From tableside cooking and my infamous Flaming Cheesewheel of Death to interactive sushi-making classes, private-chef experiences, and even ghost-hunting dinners, I developed my own approach to combining dining with entertainment. I call it Eatertainment.

One of my proudest hospitality accomplishments was taking over a struggling, single-location Family Tavola and expanding the operation to two year-round, full-service restaurants and two seasonal Beach Bites locations.

The reputation we established was remarkable. Even three months after Family Tavola closed, it continued to appear second in the Google search results we reviewed, with a 4.8-star customer rating exceeding those of two longer-established competitors.

Throughout my career, I’ve also believed that hospitality means giving back. Whether preparing meals for approximately 50 people in need at Red Bank Methodist Church or bringing people together for special occasions, the opportunity to serve others has always been central to what I do.

Today, I bring those decades of hands-on experience, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking to new ventures and opportunities.

The businesses may change. The passion for hospitality never does.