Jennie Yip Kim
Founder & CEO of Jenjuice Hospitality and Co-Founder & Creative Director of COJHO Hospitality Consultancy
“Opening the Delano Hotel's Food and Beverage program was the most demanding job yet most rewarding in my entire career. The brilliant vision of Ian Schrager, who paved the way for future design hotels, set the benchmark to make dining in hotels cool, bring fashion into the uniforms, introduce stylish tabletops, energize typical hotel menus, and make “lobby socializing” a verb.
The hotel's success propelled me to start my own company, Jenjuice Hospitality, putting the same amount of detail, innovation, passion, and excellence into every project.„
EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
Creating a concept is a collaborative effort with many personalities involved. So I take my team on the same journey of researching, planning, designing, client meetings, and company field trips to understand the full project better and develop together—every voice matters, big or small.
The top 5 lessons I learned in my career: 1) stay passionate, 2) embrace collaboration, 3) learn from other industries to enrich your outlook, 4) be a mentor, and 5) build your company with personality.
Pieces of advice mentors told me that have stuck with me over time: “Stay in your own lane and be authentic” - Ian Schager ; “Create a place that evokes how and what we want to feel” - Arnold Chan (Isometrix)
I couldn’t do this job without my hospitality network around the world.
After 28 years, I still love the restaurant and hotel industry. Budding entrepreneurs, young chefs, and risk-takers inspire me to create a one-of-a-kind concept that resonates with their personality.
I find inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, Monocle Magazine, online food media, and traveling, especially to foodie cities, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, London, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Toronto. By trading stories and resources with my hospitality friends, keeps me in the loop on what's happening in the hospitality space worldwide.
I keep myself educated through hospitality webinars, podcasts, reading international publications, and travel to Europe and Asia in search of exciting concepts.
When hiring hospitality professionals, I study their personality and decide if they are drivers or passengers in the hospitality space. The "driver" is someone who is a self-starter and can lead a team, and the "passenger" is someone who takes direction well and can execute the mission. Listening to the passion in their voice tells me a lot about their love for the service industry.
Two books that are essential to our profession: “Restaurant Success by the Numbers” by Roger Fields & “The Starbucks Story: How the Brand Changed the World” by John Simmons.
Disclaimer: Individuals featured in the Inspirational Career Timelines section have been nominated by peers, colleagues and/or other members of the hospitality industry. It is to the best of our knowledge that each individual has demonstrated leadership and acted as a positive role model for others.
Send Us Your Nominations
If you know of any extraordinary food, beverage and hospitality professionals who inspire others through their hard work and leadership, nominate them now!
Nominate
Search industry jobs here
Get Inspired by Industry Leaders
Explore their unique career timelines and advice about what they’ve learned along the way
- Categories
- CulinaryPastry & BakingWine & BeverageServiceOffice & AdminMedia
- Experience
- Career ChangerInternational ExperienceJames Beard Award
CountryLanguage
