ABOUT Woody

My education in excellence began before I could see over the kitchen counter. Growing up in Washington, DC as the fourth generation in a family of chefs, I didn't just learn recipes - I absorbed the rhythms of hospitality in my bones. The scent of reducing sauces at my aunt's Jamaican Carry-Out, the precise timing of the baker's morning rounds at my grandmother's patisserie, the symphony of clinking glasses during cocktail hour at my father's restaurant- these were the lullabies of my childhood.

​

By 16, I was folding napkins for weekend service. By 18, I was expediting dinners during the summer rush. This immersive upbringing gave me something no business school could teach: an instinctual understanding of how every element - from dishware weight to server cadence - contributes to the unspoken magic of a perfect dining experience.

​

My professional journey has been one of deliberate diversity: In my twenties, I apprenticed under a James Beard nominated chef where I learned the exacting standards of haute cuisine - how the perfect quenelle can make a diner feel valued, how a dessert's presentation tempo affects the kitchen's flow. Moving to front-of-house, I managed floors at white-tablecloth establishments where I discovered how to read guests' unspoken needs and train staff to anticipate them.

​

Seeking a broader perspective, I shifted to fast-casual and QSR concepts, where I mastered the alchemy of quality-at-scale. As a general manager, I developed systems that maintained standards during lunch rushes of 300+ covers. Behind the bar, I learned how beverage programs can transform check averages. Every role, from line cook to operations director, revealed new layers of understanding about what truly drives a restaurant's success.

This uncommon path has produced tangible results: year after year, the concepts I guide achieve 10-15% sales growth through operational refinements most teams overlook. Not through gimmicks, but by honoring the fundamentals - the same fundamentals I learned peeling potatoes as a child, now applied with strategic sophistication.

​

For investors who understand that great hospitality is equal parts art and science, I offer something rare: the ability to audit your concept through the eyes of a chef, the mind of an operator, and the instincts of someone who's known this business since before their first apron fit.