Stephen began his career in Hospitality at the age of 18. He landed his first job as a barback at a Daiquiri Bar at the Pier 17 Mall while pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Pace University. It was here where his affection for Food & Beverage started to take form.
Stephen was born in Detroit, Michigan before residing in North Carolina, California, and Ohio. He finally landed permanently in New York in 1993 after being recruited to play basketball at Pace University. While attending his undergrad, Stephen juggled a rigorous basketball schedule, his curriculum, and a part-time job in the barbacking and eventually bartending. After completing college at Pace University, he decided New York is where he was going to lay his professional tracks. Eager and ambitious, Stephen worked day and night in almost every facet of the Food & Beverage industry including duties as a barback, busser, runner, host, reservationist, server, bartender, doorman, manager, and partner.
Stephen’s first big break came in 2007 when he partnered up with the founders of In Good Company Hospitality at Libation, a night-club located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It is here where he discovered a group of individuals that truly cared about people and had the same vision and passion in providing more than just a drinking or dining experience.
Since Libation, Stephen has achieved partnership at Park Avenue Tavern, Refinery Rooftop, Winnie’s Jazz Bar, Parker & Quinn, Trademark Taste & Grind, The Wilson, and the Rockaway Beach Hotel project. Currently, Stephen is a Managing Partner & the Director of Hospitality and continues his passion for the restaurant industry and In Good Company.
