James Liakakos

About James Liakakos

James Liakakos is the Chief Operating Officer for True Food Kitchen. James joined True Food in October 2016 as VP of Restaurant Operations, where he was tasked with overseeing quality of operational performance for the thoughtfully crafted, nutrition-focused restaurant brand that believes food should help make you feel better. True Food Kitchen ended 2016 with 16 restaurants across the US, and has grown to 44 restaurant locations in 2023. James quickly transitioned operational leadership of the organization, helping to set-up True Food for independent ownership in mid-2017, backed by financial partner, Centerbridge Partners, L.P. Prior to joining True Food, James was Vice President of Operations for Jean-Georges Management, spending twelve years with the NYC-based group, which oversees some of the world\'s most critically-acclaimed restaurants created by 3-Michelin star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. As Vice President of Operations, James oversaw the ongoing advancement of operations and strengthening of restaurant brands. He was responsible for the organization\'s centralized functions of revenue management, HR and overall quality of guest experience, driving high performance for a $300M+ global business. James worked directly with internationally-renowned Chef Jean-Georges towards the development and launching of 17 restaurant openings across 12 international cities, and has conducted routine business visits to 26 global dining destinations. James is a graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, New York. Hospitality F&B Operational Excellence Revenue Management & Financial Performance Strategic Management & OKR Execution

Experience

1. Chief Operating Officer

   True Food Kitchen

   Sep 2017 — Present · Phoenix, AZ, US

Education

• Cornell University

  BA, School of Hotel Administration

  1994 — 1998