Lois Freedman, Co-CEO Of The Jean-Georges Restaurant Group

Today’s guest is Lois Freedman, one of the most powerful women in the restaurant industry. Lois is co-CEO of the Jean-Georges restaurant group, the company led by world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten that includes more than 50 restaurants in 12 countries and more than 1,000 employees. This year marks Lois’s 40th anniversary of working with Jean-Georges. 

Amazingly, this is Lois’s very first podcast. She’s been very low-key throughout her career, but fortunately for us, agreed to come on the show and talk about her remarkable career. 

She and host Kerry Diamond discuss Lois’ time as a chef, her move to front-of-house and what that unlocked, her love of to-do lists, why Jean-Georges calls her Madame No, plus advice for opening restaurants and keeping them open. You will learn a lot from Lois, whether you work in hospitality or another industry. 

This episode was recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center. 

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More on Lois: LinkedIn, Jean-Georges restaurants
More on Kerry: Instagram, “So You Want To Open A Restaurant” Substack series