My journey in the hospitality business began when I was just a boy, starting in 1978 as the "trick of all trades", dishwasher, server, bar back, and cook, at The Station restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I was working for my mother, the legendary Owner/Chef Norma Shirley, and those early years planted the deep roots for my passion for the exciting restaurant life. To me, “Every day is a new day; the curtain goes up and we perform to the fullest.”

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Even while attending Phillips Academy Andover, I assisted my mother with catering high-profile events for clients like Polly Mellen, the Fashion Editor of Condé Nast Publications in New York City, where I learned a different side of the industry.

 

After graduating from Colgate University in 1991, I started my professional life as a financial analyst in Washington D.C., but the restaurant world soon called me home. My mother longed to return to her beloved birthplace of Jamaica to bring a fine-dining vision of Jamaican cuisine to the island. I soon followed, moving to Montego Bay to assist her in opening the critically acclaimed “Norma’s at the Wharf House.”

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Owning and operating a luxury brand restaurant in the Caribbean is a challenging endeavor, but my expertise in operations, financials, projections, and meticulous training proved successful. The restaurant was featured in several Conde Nast publications, including Gourmet and Vogue, which touted my mother as “The Julia Child of the Caribbean.” After strategically building her brand recognition, we expanded her name to two more fine dining restaurants in Negril and Port Antonio.

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In 1994, I moved to Miami, Florida, to join my business and life partner, Chef Cindy Hutson, to open Norma’s on the Beach. It was immediately hailed as Miami’s new hot spot and praised as “the best Caribbean restaurant in South Florida” by USA Today, The New York Times, and other prestigious publications. We were honored with the coveted “5 Star Diamond Award” in 1996 and continued to hold that distinction for years through our tenures with various restaurants across the United States and the Caribbean.

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Today, I consult with numerous establishments, addressing their finances by structuring projections and actual revenue, as well as directing, training, and managing teams. I'm recognized as a leader and mentor, having served as a board member of the Cordon Bleu Advisory Board. My love for the hospitality community fuels my passion to share my years of experience with those who are willing to open their doors. I truly believe that “every day is a new day in the industry, and I can learn as much from someone as they hopefully can learn from me.”