In 1997 Lee got his first taste of hospitality in the Watchung Mountains at Forest Lodge, a corporate events facility and wedding destination set on 50 picturesque acres. It was here that Lee met his first mentor, he taught Lee the ropes and developed him into his first leadership role, where he would over see the execution of events for Fortune 500 companies with attendance exceeding 5000 guests. From here Lee worked his way through back and front of the house at high volume and gourmet restaurants learning the ins and outs of the hospitality industry and details of service. In 2005 he received his bachelors of science in business from Caldwell College and realized that hospitality was the true path for him. In 2006 he joined the team at Harrah’s Atlantic City and met his next mentor who took him under his wing, trained him in all aspects of F&B and gave him the opportunity to be part of numerous openings, renovations and expansions.
During his tenure at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Lee progressively advanced until he served as Vice President of Food and Beverage responsible for over $80 million dollars in revenue and over 600 team members. He lead the charge in standardization of operations, refinement of service and championed openings with renowned chefs and operators including Luke Palladino, Steve Hansen, Sam DeMarco, Steve Martorano, and Guy Fieri. Lee reshaped the food and beverage culture at Harrah’s Resort and created amazing concepts ranging from chef driven quick service restaurants to fine dining concepts. He became known for creating award winning beverage programs and producing amazing dinners with his team.
In 2017 Lee started STW Hospitality a consulting firm focused only helping companies develop` and grow their brands, operations management and leadership development. He works closely with owners and operators leveraging on his years of experience. One of his focuses in the has been the development of the beach block of Tennessee Avenue in Atlantic City, where he works closely with developer Mark Callazzo and the operators to bring lifestyle hospitality concepts to life. Lee has been instrumental in the set up, design and construction of the businesses. In addition to developing a hospitality culture, marketing and service plans and operations management. In summer of 2019 they debuted the new location of The Iron Room and Rhythm and Spirits a live music and cocktail club serving up inspired bar food and pizza.
As a dynamic, motivating, and creative Food & Beverage Executive, Lee developed, launched, grew, and optimized new and existing restaurant concepts and directed front- and back-of-the-house operations to drive profitability and efficiency. With a focus on opening new properties and revitalizing existing properties, he maximizes revenues by using his expertise in the dining industry to develop the concepts that attract diners. In addition, he is known for pairing innovative technologies and operational strategies to continuously improve service performance, resulting in higher revenues, higher profit margins, and record growth. Lee is committed to delivering an exceptional dining experience and empowering teams to achieve top performance by leveraging his expertise and record of success in concept development, operational strategy, and team leadership.