j holmes

As Vice President of Operations, J. Holmes brings over 35 years of experience planning and directing the successful launch and day-to-day management of diverse restaurant concepts ranging from casual to fine dining and serving a variety of cuisines in various locations such as hotels, resorts and membership club settings.

He is a dedicated leader who strives to empower his team to execute and facilitate exceptional food and beverage experiences for all patrons. On a day-to-day basis, he prioritizes visiting or reaching out to the operators that work for APICII. He reviews their plan for the week before assisting them with staffing, menu development or training to ensure they’re set up for success.  

J. considers himself a results-driven professional adept at identifying and executing innovative solutions to reduce overhead costs and prides himself on his ability to drive service quality and sustain guest satisfaction through team training and inspiration. 

Before coming to APICII, he worked as the regional director for Rosa Mexicano Restaurants, providing hands-on leadership throughout units to ensure service standards and quality were consistently executed. He honed his communication skills and management style there as he handled recruitment, training, development and retention for the region with the support of the HR and Training Department to build a cohesive management team.

For nearly a decade, he also worked as the managing director for McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, Inc., where he championed the opening of multiple restaurants in locations such as New York City, Boca Raton, Florida, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Philadelphia and New Jersey,  providing the mentorship and leadership required to equip the team to handle these new ventures. He says his favorite part of opening new restaurants is always training and watching people grow as they get excited and inspired about a new career.

J.’s career in hospitality started at the young age of 12 when he was looking for a job washing dishes and doing prep in kitchens of Cleveland, Ohio. But when his aunt who lived in London and ran the Strand Palace Hotel for 35 years told him that if he was ever interested in the restaurant business to call her, he knew he had to take the chance. As a result, he spent five years in London working in kitchens at the Strand Palace as well as other outlets throughout London. At one of the locations he was apprenticing at, the general manager didn't show up and the owner asked him to work in the front of the house. He put a suit on and from that day on, J.’s been a front of house operator with a great deal of kitchen experience. He loved the excitement working with daily fast paced energy and never looked back.

J. currently resides in New Jersey, and he’s not traveling for work, he enjoys hanging out with his daughter, hiking, skiing and golfing.