Collaborating with mission-driven brands and their brilliant teams.
From pre-opening builds to legacy brand evolution, we design hospitality systems as unique as the teams behind them.
Hotel Amblin
Full F&B concept development and pre-opening consulting for a Hilton Tapestry property in Auburn, CA. Scope includes restaurant concept and narrative development, menu design, tech stack selection, staffing frameworks, training systems, and event and banquet program development.
Dear Mama
Updated service materials to align with new operational systems, implemented an inventory management system, and shifted the labor model to meet business needs, reducing weekly labor cost by up to 10 points. Ongoing business strategy development to grow sales through community outreach, diversified catering and events offerings, collaboration events, and an outdoor service model.
A16 Chicago
Recruiting and hospitality infrastructure for A16 Chicago, a market adaptation of the beloved A16 brand opening in a new city. Full-scope engagement covering team and culture building, service standards, team training, and opening support.
A16
A multi-phase, multi-location engagement spanning manager toolkit development, leadership coaching, service manual creation, onboarding infrastructure, and leadership recruiting. Successfully opened A16 Napa.
Malliouhana Resort
Brought in on a focused consulting engagement to support Food, Beverage and Hospitality Training at this Small Luxury Hotels of the World property. Built culinary, wine, service, and sensory education programs. Cross-cultural team development, 40th anniversary programming, and wine list work contributing to a Wine Spectator Award.
Park James Hotel
Project-based consulting support for Food, Beverage and Hospitality Training at this boutique California property. Built culinary, wine, service, and sensory education programs alongside team development tailored to the hotel's residential sensibility and Bay Area clientele.
Nanuku Resort
Targeted advisory engagement on Food, Beverage and Hospitality Training for this Small Luxury Hotels of the World property, building training programs and elevating service standards per Small Luxury Hotels and Forbes Travel Guide guidelines across all F&B outlets.
The Ark, Deer Isle (formerly Pilgrim's Inn)
Full opening support for this beloved historic inn on the Maine coast: concept development, service standards, FOH training, and operational systems built for a property where character and hospitality are inseparable. Named one of The New York Times' 50 Best New Restaurants the summer it reopened.
Black Radio Experience by Blue Note Jazz Festival
Director of Food, Beverage & Culture Experiences for three consecutive years of the Black Radio Experience in Napa Valley. Curated community-driven F&B activations spotlighting Black chefs, vintners, makers, and artists, building immersive, culturally rooted moments where music, food, wine, and creative expression converge to deepen the festival's identity and audience connection.
The Landing & Office Hours
Project management for the openings of The Landing and Office Hours at Penn 1, with full-scope support across build-out, sourcing, staffing, and training to bring two new hospitality concepts online within Vornado's WorkLife platform.
Foundational work Shawndra and Kim contributed to prior to founding Les Lumières. Experience that continues to shape our approach today.
RH Hospitality
Founding leadership team members. Helped build operational and service standards and beverage programming within the new RH hospitality division. Hired and trained teams across 10 cities in the US and Canada.
Culinary Agents
Part of the founding team to build out the hospitality community's toolkit around professional and business development, extending to top restaurants, hotels, and hospitality schools across the US.
In the words of the leaders we've partnered with.
"Kim is the ultimate New York area F&B expert who helped lead a team to open our best-in-class grab and go cafe and our full-service restaurant, bar, private dining, and catering operation. She is determined, passionate, hard working, and a pleasure to work with. Above all, Kim is a great listener and team player from concept to tastings to opening, and, as a result, was crucial to the launch of our F&B business."JOSH GLICK — EVP, DIRECTOR OF PENN DISTRICT, VORNADO REALTY TRUST
"Working with Shawndra is an absolute gift. She has a rare ability to create an environment that is both deeply professional and incredibly human, where excellence, joy, and hard work exist side by side. Her ability to build real synergy with the team, empower leaders at every level, and bring clarity and structure to complex projects is unmatched. Shawndra has been my rock every step of the way. I truly cannot imagine doing this work without her."SHELLEY LINDGREN — RESTAURATEUR, AUTHOR, WINE PROFESSIONAL · A16 / DOC GRUPPO