Jennie Yip is a creative hospitality leader with 28+ years of experience in the boutique hotel and restaurant industry. She’s a visionary who develops innovative food & beverage concepts that have changed the hospitality business worldwide for hotels, restaurants, private clubs and luxury condominiums.
In her career, she has developed over 80+ food and beverage concepts/ outlets, and 7 hotels in the U.S. and abroad at Jenjuice  Hospitality, her consultancy, since 1996. Her roles have been Director of Food & Beverage, Managing Partner, Owner, Director of Restaurant  Development, General Manager to Consultant.  The consultancy attracts people of like minds to collaborate and create bespoke, one-of-a-kind hospitality experiences.
“Yip’s experience in the culinary and hospitality industry spans over two decades, having worked with owners, operators, and developers as partners and consultants in various projects throughout the hospitality industry. Collaborations have included ground-breaking hotels such as Gramercy Park Hotel, Delano Hotel and Mercer Hotel. She has also worked directly with celebrity hoteliers and restaurateurs including Ian Schrager, Geoffrey Zakarian, Andre Balazs, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten” – Hospitality.Net

HOW IT STARTED

In 1992 Jennie was hired as a restaurant hostess at 44 in Ian Schrager’s Royalton Hotel.  “When I walked into the lobby of the Royalton Hotel, I saw a new kind of hospitality,” says Jennie. ” I loved its whimsical design, stylish food, curated cocktails, designer uniforms, and the strategist seating that set the tone for the restaurant!” This was the beginning of the era of the ” power lunch.” The nightlife savvy team of Brian McNally, Ian Schrager, Jonathan Morr, and Philippe Starck set the stage for the “new game” in town – the designer boutique hotel marketplace. Who would’ve thought dining at a hotel was fashionable? They did.”

Jennie soon became a manager then general manager then Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at the Delano Hotel in South Beach. During the launch of this Philippe Starck-designed masterpiece, she fell in love with the process of  hiring and training staff, styling the food and amenities,  and setting up the logistics of the multiple food & beverage outlets. 

” I wanted to peel back the layers of the creative process and start an F&B consultancy that worked with designers and visionaries to create bespoke hospitality destinations. I was determined to find my niche after the Delano Hotel opened and started, Jenjuice Hospitality, in 1996,” she says. “From concept, development, operations to opening, I needed to be a part of the  DNA and work alongside creative geniuses of our times.” 

INSPIRATION

“Stay in your lane and be unique.”– Ian Schrager

“Travel inspires me to be super creative.” says Jennie. “Chatting with hospitality leaders around the world, exploring new F&B concepts in new cities, studying food packaging and hotel-hopping — these all help melt my ideas together. Exploring hawker centers, food halls, ghost kitchens, food trucks to Instagram always introduced me to the most delicious concepts in the world. Truly, the best chefs come from these places when you least expect it!.”

WHAT MAKES JENJUICE HOSPITALITY STAND OUT

“What sets JH apart from the norm is we focus on developing rich, visually compelling concepts to create the unforgettable guest experience,” says Jennie. “We take a deep dive into how each space moves from breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktail hour to special events. We observe how this impacts staff, kitchen, design, budget and atmosphere. Every detail is studied until it all feels right.”

SHARING & MENTORING HOSPITALITY

Yip continues to give back to the hospitality industry by mentoring students all over the world and introducing them into the workforce via internships and job placement. She’s partnered with James Beard Foundation Mentorship  program to expand her entrepreneurial outreach. In addition, she continues to give talks about the hospitality trade on many different platforms — especially start-ups and women in business. 

During COVID-19,  Jennie started  Restaurant Business Startup, a restaurant-template business service to help food service entrepreneurs make their concepts a reality. She now lives in Dallas with her family.

FOUNDER

Jennie Yip

ARTICLES

HOSPITALITY NET:  Yip has worked with celebrity hoteliers & restaurateurs Ian Schrager, Geoffrey Zakarian, Andre Balazs and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.”                

HEAD OF OS+E DESIGN

Monica Sapirstein

Monica is a seasoned expert with vast experience in hospitality operations management across the USA, UAE, Asia, and Africa.

With over 25 years of expertise in curating chef-driven concepts, her specialty lies in concept development, hotel OS&E/guest supplies selection, restaurant tabletop design, and F&B operations strategy, setting trends in the hospitality industry.

She brings pre-opening experience working with top concept and design-driven hotel brands and Michelin-starred chefs.

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