James Xie

Authorized to work in the US for any employer

Multi-Unit Restaurant Owner & Operator at Modern Culinary Concepts (2016-09 – Present)

• Direct enterprise-level operations, fiscal governance, and strategic growth across multi-unit hospitality concepts generating multi-million-dollar revenues.
• Oversee full P&L performance, actively engineering cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) and labor management models to sustain top-tier EBITDA margins.
• Spearhead talent architecture by hiring, mentoring, and retaining General Managers and culinary leadership, driving turnover rates significantly below industry averages.
• Modernize restaurant infrastructure through automated inventory control, cloud-based POS platforms, and data-driven scheduling systems.
• Lead end-to-end concept lifecycles from commercial lease negotiation and space design to operational launch and community brand positioning.
• Negotiate strategic vendor agreements and supply contracts, leveraging multi-unit purchasing power to capture volume discounts.

Senior Corporate Trainer at Dominick's Steakhouse/Steak 44/ Steak 48 (2011-09 – 2016-09)

• Authored system-wide standard operating procedures (SOPs) and comprehensive training manuals for ultra-luxury steakhouse concepts.
• Led operational readiness and team certification for high-volume New Store Openings (NSOs) across the brand portfolio.
• Designed testing and evaluation benchmarks required for staff and management certification prior to floor placement.
• Delivered regional "Train the Trainer" workshops, product rollout sessions, and leadership development pipelines.
• Conducted operational compliance audits to identify performance gaps and establish measurable corrective action plans.

General Manager at Jade Palace Restaurants (2007-04 – 2011-09)

• Directed daily operations, budget allocations, and 30+ team members for a high-volume $6.0M restaurant.
• Managed P&L accounting, inventory auditing, and cost-control systems to maximize net profitability.
• On-boarded and cross-trained incoming general managers for sister locations to enforce operational consistency.
• Spearheaded local marketing, promotional strategies, and quality assurance to drive guest retention and revenue growth.

Business Management in Business Management – Arizona State University-Tempe