David Barton

Senior hospitality executive, multi-unit operator, and former owner with a record of building, scaling, and transforming restaurants, nightlife venues, and experiential hospitality concepts across multiple markets. Combines ownership-level judgment with executive operational discipline to design scalable organizations, elevate guest experience, and align teams around measurable performance. Known for stabilizing underperforming portfolios, building high-performing leadership teams, and creating experience-driven brands that sustain long-term growth.

Managing Director, Multi-Unit Hospitality Operations - Multi-Unit Hospitality Operations

(2022-05)

Directed the opening, operational buildout, and scaling of 10+ hospitality concepts across nightlife, bar, restaurant, luxury dining, and high-volume food & beverage environments. Serve as the operating executive overseeing daily operations, operational performance, and strategic execution across a portfolio of hospitality venues including a large-scale food & beverage venue, a multi-operational hospitality concept, and multiple high-volume bar and nightlife operations.

• Direct major operational functions across four active venues, including staffing strategy, service standards, floor operations, beverage operations, guest experience, programming coordination, vendor management, financial oversight, and leadership development.
• Lead multi-unit hospitality operations with responsibility for operational execution, management accountability, labor coordination, service delivery, and performance consistency across diverse food, beverage, nightlife, and experiential hospitality environments.
• Oversee high-volume operational environments ranging from large-format hospitality venues to boutique bar concepts, managing execution standards, guest-flow strategy, VIP service coordination, and peak-period performance.
• Manage venue openings, operational restructuring initiatives, organizational development, workflow implementation, and service-model optimization to improve efficiency, leadership alignment, and guest experience consistency.
• Direct hiring, training, leadership development, and management oversight across multiple venue teams, building operational discipline and scalable leadership structures.
• Lead revenue-driving operational initiatives including beverage-program execution, entertainment integration, experiential programming, customer-retention strategy, and service optimization designed to strengthen market positioning and long-term venue performance.

Managing Partner – Pryzm - Pryzm

(2016-08 - 2024-09)

Directed full-scale food & beverage and nightlife operations, overseeing bar programs, service execution, staffing models, and guest experience across a high-volume venue.

• Owned P&L performance, managing revenue growth, labor models, and beverage cost controls to maintain profitability in a competitive market.
• Developed and optimized beverage program strategy, including product mix, pricing, vendor relationships, and inventory controls to maximize margin and throughput.
• Built and implemented operational systems and service standards across all departments, improving consistency, speed of service, and guest satisfaction during peak-volume operations.
• Led hiring, training, and development of management and hourly teams, establishing accountability structures and performance-driven culture across FOH operations.
• Oversaw floor operations, reservations, VIP service, and guest flow strategy, aligning service execution with revenue optimization and capacity utilization.
• Directed cross-functional coordination between bar operations, security, promotions, and support teams to ensure seamless execution of high-volume service environments.
• Managed vendor partnerships, purchasing, and compliance, ensuring cost efficiency and operational reliability across all F&B-related inputs.
• Designed and executed high-impact programming and events that drove sustained revenue growth and positioned the venue as a leading market destination.

General Manager – LUX - LUX

(2012-08 - 2016-08)

Oversaw a complex, high-volume restaurant and nightlife hybrid operation, directing all departments and leading execution across service, programming, and guest experience.

• Led full FOH and BOH operations across a multi-department venue combining restaurant, nightlife, and entertainment under a single operating model.
• Rebuilt service standards, operational systems, and leadership routines to elevate consistency and execution quality across all dayparts.
• Built management capability through hiring, training, performance management, and leadership development.
• Directed brand presence, promotional strategy, partnerships, and weekly activation programming to strengthen market position.
• Optimized floor planning, reservations, VIP logistics, and service flow to improve guest experience during peak-volume operations.
• Partnered directly with ownership on strategic planning, programming investments, and long-term operational development.

Bachelor of Science - Business Administration - West Virginia University (2010-08 - 2014-05)