AI Fluent Hospitality Operations Executive · Borderland Dreamer · El Paso, TX
I dedicated 15 years to building the kind of places that fascinate people — the teams that give brands life, the company cultures that breed loyalty and keep guests hooked. Today, I seek the right business partner to help bring Gnomo to life in sunny El Paso, Texas.
About Me Download ResumeAbout Me
I didn't start in hospitality, it was a seed planted by my mother. My educational background is in psychology and healthcare administration — and looking back, that foundation shaped everything. Understanding how people think, why they behave in certain ways, how systems work, and what makes organizations actually function: that's the thread running through 15+ years of shaping pubs, operating busy dine-in theaters, and building the teams that make them successful.
My first role in the industry was at The Hoppy Monk in El Paso — a creative concept built by my brother from scratch with no prior hospitality experience, only a belief that craft beer and genuine community could find each other in a city that didn't yet know it wanted either. I came in as General Manager, helped build the operational infrastructure — hiring systems, training programs, operational manuals, employee handbooks — and helped transform what started as an idea into a professionally managed business. It worked. The Hoppy Monk became the catalyst for El Paso's craft beer revolution.
When we expanded to San Antonio in 2014, I became Managing Partner and took on the full challenge of building a multi-million dollar concept from day one. Over five years, I grew revenues from $1.5M to $3M while managing P&L, labor forecasting, inventory control, supplier negotiations, executive team leadership, culture development, and strategic vision. During that time I forged lasting relationships with some of the most respected figures in the American craft beer world — Brad Farbstein of Real Ale, Chris Lennert of Left Hand, Brock Wagner of Saint Arnold, Garret Marrero of Maui Brewing, Rob Rod of Allagash — and had the honor of hosting the Brewers Association Board of Directors at our establishment. I've also had the privilege of getting into the brewhouse itself, participating in collaborative brewing sessions with Real Ale, Left Hand, and Sierra Nevada.
From there: Flix Brewhouse in Albuquerque, where I led operations through a full liquor license transition and pushed the location into the top tier of financial performance across all nine national locations. Then Alamo Drafthouse in El Paso — the gold standard in dine-in entertainment — where as the General Manager, I led the Montecillo location to profitability after many periods of financial loss, then consistently ranking among the company's top NPS performers while keeping inventory below budget every period.
Throughout all of it, one thing hasn't changed: the entrepreneurial itch. I've always operated with an owner's mentality because I've always intended to own again. That's what's driving my current venture — a concept years in the making that I believe is exactly what El Paso needs and deserves.
I'm also one of a very small number of hospitality executives actively investing in AI fluency. I've built tools with code, completed multiple courses through Anthropic, run exploratory data analysis on operational datasets, and use AI daily to make smarter decisions faster. I see this as the next frontier for operations leadership — and I intend to stay ahead of it.
Open to hospitality and operational opportunities in restaurants, entertainment, hotels, and multi-family residential communities. The industry matters less than the challenge. Give me a team worth leading and a culture worth building, and I'll deliver.
Current Venture
After years of building other people's concepts to the highest standard, I'm returning to what drives me most: building something of my own, from the ground up, with intention and love.
Gnomo is a Norteño Pub concept for El Paso — a space rooted in the culture, flavors, and spirit of Northern Mexico and Paquimé. Craft beer, agave spirits, sotol, Mexican wine, and beautifully plated botanas, all in a room designed to feel like the region and culture it celebrates. A place for connection, discovery, and community.
This venture reflects everything I've learned across 15 years of operations — the financial discipline, the people-first culture, the obsession with the guest experience — now channeled into something born from personal passion and regional pride.
Currently seeking investment partners. The business plan is available upon request.
Botanas del Norte.
Experience
Led all aspects of dine-in theater and restaurant operations. Analyzed P&L each period, built plans for revenue growth and cost control, consistently maintained inventory below budget, and ranked among the top NPS performers across all Alamo Drafthouse locations. Oversaw cash handling, venue inspections, equipment maintenance, and full compliance with liquor, labor, and health regulations. Built a strong succession bench through direct development of AGM and Kitchen Manager.
Drove financial and operational performance across a high-volume dine-in cinema, consistently holding some of the strongest metrics among all nine Flix locations nationwide. Led a full liquor license transition, rebuilt the department with new talent, and elevated the guest experience through improved processes and team accountability.
Built one of San Antonio's most respected professional management teams from the ground up. Grew revenues from $1.5M to $3M over five years while managing full P&L, labor forecasting, inventory control, supplier negotiations, and strategic vision. Hosted the Brewers Association Board of Directors and cultivated relationships with nationally recognized craft brewing leaders.
Launched El Paso's first successful craft beer destination with no prior hospitality experience. Designed hiring systems, training programs, operational manuals, and employee handbooks — infrastructure that transformed the concept into a professionally managed operation and community institution that drove expansion to San Antonio.
Webster University
University of Texas at El Paso
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Download PDF ResumeBeyond Operations
For nearly a decade, yoga has been a daily practice and a serious one. You could say I fall under the advanced practitioner category — not because it came naturally, but because I kept showing up when it didn't. The mat has a way of exposing everything: insecurity, impatience, the ego that wants to skip the hard part.
What the practice has given me isn't just flexibility — it's the capacity to sit with difficulty, fall, and return without drama. That same quality shows up in how I lead teams, navigate uncertainty, and face the gaps between where things are and where they need to be.
I travel to eat, drink, and learn. Breweries, markets, wineries, agave distilleries, coffee roasters, coffee shops — I seek out the places built by people who are genuinely obsessed with what they make. That curiosity has taken me deep into Mexico's food, sotol, tequila, wine and mezcal culture, and everywhere in between. It has taken me to Nicaragua and Costa Rica to visit coffee farms. It has forced me to drive thousands of miles across California's coast and explore its luscious wine country.
I've had the privilege of getting into the brewhouse itself — brewing alongside the teams at Real Ale, Left Hand, and Sierra Nevada. Those experiences didn't just deepen my product knowledge; they reinforced the values I bring to every operation: craft, precision, and pride in the work.
GitHub
Projects where hospitality operations meet applied AI — built by an operator who got curious and didn't stop.
Contact
Based in El Paso, TX. Open to operations roles in hospitality, hotels, and residential communities — and to conversations about Gnomo.