We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeremy Kneller-hernandez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeremy below.

Jeremy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was 15 years old. I quickly found the second family I was looking for. I was accepting in the first restaurant I worked in as a busser. Barrio Food & Drink. Throughout my life in my later teens and early 20’s I got myself into a lot of trouble. Lost my sense of community once again. Homeless with no one to turn to at age 25. I met a man named Nathan Ares, a restaurant owner. He gave me a chance to be apart of his family in his restaurants and I quickly started to thrive. He taught me most of what I know and gave me a free business education. I finally found a home and a sense of purpose, a goal to be a restaurant owner and help others along the way who are struggling. I will always remember and cherish my time under his wing. I would love nothing more than to return the favor to someone in need and for them to want to say the same about me. The people matter the most in this industry.

This industry is unforgiving and very hard to succeed in as an owner. There is little to no guidance and the trends and market change every day drastically. Working through covid and helping businesses survive by getting creative, pivoting business structures and adapting to a brave new world taught me that I’m good at this and want to share my knowledge. I’ve hopped from restaurant to restaurant and succeeded in helping the owners and managers find their core identity, ability to lead with persistence and consistency. Opened numerous restaurants and guided owners through all the twists and turns that are needed to navigate through with the city, health dept and legalities. It’s a lot of work!! If I can help people find their way and thrive without me I’ve done my job.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always shared my impactful moments in life with food, drinks and hospitality. We always end up in someone’s kitchen, a restaurant or a bar sharing our moment with whomever is providing us hospitality. Working in the restaurant industry as a consultant is a form of art, one that I love and thrive in. The work is incredibly creative and allows me to use my expertise to elevate restaurants to the owners vision and full potential.

I truly enjoy building a community and creating an experience for others. I’ve been in the restaurant industry for over 18 years and have worked in every position from line cook to the director of operations. This experience provided me with the proficiency and knowledge to truly understand the key elements and the deep work required to make a restaurant successful. The restaurant industry saved my life in a time where I needed community and passion more than ever. I will always be grateful for the people that accepted and nurtured me on my path and I made a promise to keep and hold that tradition.

I want to see my community thrive, and local shops and restaurants are the soul to any neighborhood. It’s an expression of who we are as a community and I’m here to support anyone in need and with a vision for their business. I specialize in building and improving systems (creating training manuals, develop and implementing service protocols, hospitality standards, etc.), restaurant openings (concept development, costing, accounting, management training, menu development), creating a culture of service (hiring, hands on training, etc), and more. I enjoy being of service to others and continue to fall deeper in love with this community. There is nothing more valuable than having a consultant/mentor who truly understands how it all comes together and can help solidify someone’s dream of owning and running a successful restaurant.

Offering in person or online consulting for the above categories and more. Reach out! Let me know what kind of help you’re looking for. Are you starting a new business venture? Need advice on a particular subject? Need help training, organizing, with taxes, health dept? Let’s start with a free consultation and navigate where we need to go from there. www.jkhhospitality.com

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My business partner for La Merguez Zakariah Boucetta moved into the same property that I was living in 3 years ago. We started to connect as neighbors and hang out. We clicked immediately. Zak if from Morocco and we started to cook with harissa he brought back. The food was exceptional and we quickly decided to fill the gap in the market for Moroccan food and start a food cart. 3 Years later we are looking to expand to a brick and mortar and keep growing as business partners and growing our business together.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I used to be a drug addict for a long period of my life. Homeless, struggling, alone in a dark selfish world. I had to first break the addiction and let go of my control. With a community of people that love and supported me which I found, it became easier and easier to let go of my need to control my situation or outlook on life.

This tool of letting go is an everyday goal. With managing, owning a business, consulting with others, I’ve found it so important to let go and know everything will never go as planned in this industry. Working together to problem solve and find solutions is always the best route rather than try and control the situation with power on your own. Power get’s to your head quick as a boss. I have to remember to deflate it everyday and am reminded to by people I work with as well. The world is my teacher and I will always strive to stay humble.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jkhhospitality.com
• Instagram: @jkhospitality @lamerguez.az
• Yelp: La Merguez