Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Lloyd.
Jordan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. I was blessed with a stepfather who was a true Eastern Shore waterman, teaching me the ways of our rivers and creeks, such as crabbing, fishing, and, more importantly, learning to respect and understand our local natural environment. This would lend a strong hand to my passion for regional cooking and supporting my community with whatever skills I have to offer.
I was excited to work at a young age and got my first job in a restaurant at age 13. I fell in love with the energy and the people and became obsessed with the spirit of hospitality. The idea of taking care of others through food, service, and experience became a part of who I was. I went to culinary school in Pittsburgh, PA, and returned back home to Easton following graduation. My first job out of school was on the opening team of Mason’s fine dining restaurant, where I reacquainted myself with my childhood girlfriend, Alice. We got married within two years. We have now been married for 22 years and have two amazing children, Gigi and Oliver.
Following our restaurant experience together in our hometown, we adventured to DC to work with Michel Richard Citronelle, then to New York to open Thomas Keller’s Per Se on Columbus Circle. With two restaurant openings under my belt, I became passionate about openings and, more so, helping others in their pursuits of entrepreneurial success. I have now independently opened or directly supported nearly 50 businesses, from consultant to owner.
A few of the businesses include Smith Island Baking Company appearing on QVC selling 1200 cakes in 7 minutes, opening Auberge Du Soleil Resort in Palmetto Bluff, SC, opening La Goulue for one of the Godfathers of French cooking in America, Christian Delouvrier at the posh Bal Harbour Shops in Miami and opening Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak with the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown D.C. I continue to be an active business consultant for a variety of industries, from health care to home and garden, with a continued focus on hospitality and food distribution.
I currently own and operate the Eastern Shore’s premier catering company, Hambleton House Events and Catering. Alice and I owned Bartlett Pear Inn, also the Eastern Shore’s premier dining destination from 2008-2020. With our children getting older, we switched our services to catering to allow for far more quality time with each other and our children. The catering company brings all the same elegance and energy people come to love with Bartlett Pear onsite to their event.
Through the years, we have been blessed with a 4.5-star review from Baltimore’s Richard Gorelick of the Sun, three stars from Tom Sietsema of the Post, hosted James Beard dinners at the Beard House, and continue to work as a creative contributor with Enroot Sparkling Tea, working directly with Brad Pitt, Cris Patwa, and John Folgelman on this project they created to promote the power of being sober curious. This opportunity spoke to me loudly as someone who has been sober from alcohol for 12 years. I am currently opening a Lebanese restaurant as an Executive Chef consultant in Clarendon, VA, called Zazzy, under the brilliant direction of Zeina El Eid, a passionate and brilliant businesswoman from Lebanon.
In addition, I am building an online home and garden gift company called Topiary and Tea under the leadership of another passionate and driven entrepreneur, Kelly Walsh. I feel blessed to be connected with so many brilliant and engaging professionals and humbled by their partnerships. At age 44, I feel like I am just getting warmed up.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many struggles! Just figuring out how to move out of my hometown to go to culinary school from the very beginning was a struggle. I come from humble beginnings, so there was no choice but to work if I wanted anything, which is why I was engaged at age 13 to begin working for my own money.
I moved to Pittsburgh for culinary school with $300 in my pocket, delaying school loans as long as I could, and no place to live and no car. I financed a tiny studio apartment and had no electricity or utilities for the first two months. I convinced a friend to join me at culinary school a few weeks later. He was in a similar position, and when we had to make a decision to either get electricity for the month or candles and a ping pong table….you can guess what we decided, lol. My buddy Matt Williams is now a very successful wine shop owner in Charleston, S.C.
Every movement has been a chosen struggle, always seems to be against all odds, from making it in NY for 18 months making $90/day working 15 hr days at the most intense, stressful, and expensive restaurant on the planet to convincing three partners to invest in Alice and I when we pursued Bartlett Pear Inn, a 5000 sq ft bed and breakfast from 1790 that required far work and money than we could have dreamed of having enough to offer. So many of the lessons I have to offer people do not come from my successes but from my own failures.
I am passionate about helping other entrepreneurs not make the same mistakes I have made and prevent great loss before it begins to rear its ugly head. I try to connect with people before they begin their projects to guide them to great success and to help them understand overhead and budgeting in great detail before major steps to their dreams are taken. It’s too often, clients ask for help following great mistakes instead of having a conscience to prevention.
The love, support, and belief in my efforts from my wife and family have always been the pillars of my belief in myself. There are plenty more struggles to speak to! The struggle is a direct reflection of success, without it, success is not possible.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
My work is a shared experience in every way…from the products we create and offer to our clients to the education and support we give to our teammates, colleagues, and staff. I believe in the rising tides philosophy. To me, this philosophy means to create a path of great success and support to everyone involved in our ethos.
The delivery driver deserves to be treated with respect and offered a beverage with genuine hospitality upon arrival, taking a dishwasher or steward and elevating them at their own comfortable pace to a top-level professional that can take the skills we provided them and build their own family’s independent success. Our biggest accomplishment within our own organization has nothing to do with our own success but the success of everyone around us. My philosophy is to surround myself with people who have honest hearts and a strong work ethic and help support their own great attributes.
The more I help build their individualized strengths, the more our company benefits as a result. The cycle never stops revolving, attracting more positive energy every step of the way. The chefs I have trained have become leaders of James Beard-winning restaurants, chefs de cuisines of 3-star Michelin restaurants, and owners of well-established successful organizations. These successes are what I am most proud of. Our own awards, while honored, are the last thing on our minds when it comes to being proud.
Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Find the best and be relentless in your pursuit of working with them…while maintaining professionalism and integrity. Know in your heart you can do it. When applying to Michel Richard Citronelle, the only place I applied when making the decision to work in D.C., I made a point to make sure they saw my name four different ways in one day. I emailed my application and resume, mailed it two days previous, faxed it and also showed up at their door all on the same day. I told them I was willing to work for free until I was worthy enough to be paid minimum wage. I left them no choice but to give me a shot, lol.
I have never been more scared to fail in my career than when I first walked into this nationally acclaimed restaurant. My mind was filled with self-doubt. I just made myself keep walking forward. I worked for three days for free, and then they hired me. I stayed with Washington D.C.’s most exciting chef and restaurant for three years, and then Michel referred me to his friend Thomas Keller to open the #1 restaurant opening in the world for its time, PerSe. I have had many mentors, but Michel is still the most impactful mentor I have ever had.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hambletonhouseevents.com
- Instagram: @jordancheflloyd
- Facebook: Jordan Lloyd
- Linkedin: Jordan Lloyd
Image Credits
Jenna Walcott and Cecile Davis
