James Horn is an experienced leader in the food and beverage industry, currently serving as Global Head of Food and Beverage. With a strong background in hospitality, he specializes in elevating dining experiences and managing large-scale operations worldwide.
Working with food has been a calling for me for as long as I can remember. I grew up in northern New Jersey as the son of a third-generation restaurateur. My father and his three brothers ran our family restaurant business, which was started in 1932 by my great-grandfather. I spent my early childhood hanging out in the restaurant kitchen, watching my dad “call dupes” while line cooks grilled steaks and tossed salads.
The kitchen staff looked like superheroes to me, working quickly and speaking an organized, almost secret language, all while surrounded by fire and sharp instruments. And they made a lot of incredible food, which, as the owner’s son, I was fortunate enough to enjoy. I was hooked from the beginning and have spent most of my life pursuing ways to be part of the production, service, and enjoyment of food.
Now, decades later, in my current role as Global Head of Food & Beverage for Lore Group, I have the privilege of sharing that passion with staff and guests all over the world. With this amazing opportunity comes a high level of responsibility: working with chefs to create menus that can be enjoyed by a broad range of guests in different venues, cities, and countries.
My job is fun, but it also comes with challenges. Food and beverage is a universal language. While some people share common hobbies or interests, everyone eats. The conundrum is how to make everyone happy with their food, especially when they’re paying a premium.
The Art of Creating a Menu
Menu development involves many angles, but the main considerations we focus on are the theme of the cuisine, the environment in which guests are dining, the expected demographic, and how to satisfy that audience while turning a decent profit. In between, there are countless variables, and so much can go wrong.
From concept to guest experience, successful menu development is a balance of creativity and commerce, passion and pragmatism, and vision and teamwork
A large team of people with their own opinions, tastes, and experiences is involved in both decision-making and execution. One might think it would be easier to have a single person lead menu development from start to finish, but collaboration is the key. Learning to work effectively as a team is the “cheat code” for developing successful menus, regardless of cuisine, style, or venue.
In our restaurants, menus change quarterly to reflect the seasons. Whenever possible, we highlight ingredients that are locally available when guests are sitting at the table. This is by far the most important consideration in planning a menu. The seasons inspire what and how we cook. In winter, we crave warmth and sustenance, so we focus on hearty meats and root vegetables that can endure the cold. In summer, when we’re active and outdoors, we focus on what’s growing in the sun, preparing it lightly to preserve freshness.
The next step is where collaboration comes into play. I work with executive chefs to create a working menu draft. Each chef evaluates their current menu items based on the upcoming season, item sales, consumer trends, and profitability. They submit their draft, and I review it, adding ideas, sense-checking dishes, and providing feedback. This back-and-forth continues until we agree that, on paper, the new menu is ready.
Roadblocks typically occur when a chef is hyper-focused on a dish that won’t work commercially or logistically, or when I focus too much on finances at the expense of creativity. The key is leaving egos aside to produce menus that satisfy both guests and the business.
Once the draft is approved, the culinary team develops it in the kitchen. I step back while they create, taste, test, scrap, adjust, and refine dishes over three to six weeks. When the chefs are satisfied, I return for a tasting. At this stage, dishes must not only look and taste exceptional but also meet financial targets. Chefs are not permitted to present final dishes without costing and margin analysis. Usually, I can sign off at this point, perhaps suggesting a garnish tweak or alternate plating, but otherwise the teams are well-prepared and aligned with the brief.
Enhancing the Guest Experience
Next, we involve managers and front-of-house staff. While the culinary team and I focus on ingredients and plating, the service staff must champion the menu; they interact directly with guests and ultimately sell the food. Their feedback is taken seriously, empowering them to communicate the story behind each dish and enhance the dining experience.
Finally, guests become the last set of collaborators. They are, in many ways, the “final boss” of the menu. We monitor item sales, track popularity, read online reviews, observe plate waste, and collect in-person feedback from staff interacting with diners. Managers and servers tune into this universal language of food and report back, helping us refine menus and continually improve guest satisfaction.
From concept to guest experience, successful menu development is a balance of creativity and commerce, passion and pragmatism, and vision and teamwork. When done well, it doesn’t just produce great food; it creates dining experiences that resonate with every guest, every time.