Jeremy Jones describes himself as a man who loves food, hospitality, people and the outdoors. Originally from Louisiana, Jones started in the food and beverage business waiting tables and learned how to bartend throughout his years in college. He found the hospitality industry was definitely his calling.
After some time, Jeremy grew wings and left his home state to go to Colorado. Snow boarding, skiing and mountain biking were hobbies of his. His original intention was to go only for the duration of one winter to take advantage of the mountains for skiing, but before he knew it, he was making a living for himself there. He found work at a hotel called Sonnenalp Resort of Vail, where he worked as a daytime bartender and a part-time supervisor. The owner of Sonnenalp was on site almost every day, and it created a rather humble learning atmosphere for Jones. The general manager of the restaurant also became a great mentor to him. After some time, Jeremy moved up as the assistant director of food and beverage for Sonnenalp. Later, he shifted to working at the resort’s golf course as the food and beverage manager. It was a three-meal-a-day restaurant that hosted functions such as tournaments for golf members, weddings and other dining needs. It was definitely more responsibility than his previous position with the company.
After 10 years in Colorado, Jones decided to switch gears and moved to Texas. You might think it was for another opportunity in hospitality, but Jeremy figured he still had wiggle room in his life to try new things. He just ended his 20’s and had no family of his own yet. “You get into your 30’s, and you’re like, well, I’ve been in the restaurant business my entire life, do I wanna try something else?” said Jones.
He ended up getting a license in real estate and became a realtor. It wasn’t as random as it sounds. He had always had an interest in it, and one of his good friends from college was making a lot of success in the field. Jones figured he’d give it a go. Although he liked the investment aspect of housing, the pace of the job was an acquired taste. Driving people to houses and giving tours just wasn’t his cup of tea. It didn’t compare to the rhythm of working in food.
The hospitality business gained him back after he made a connection with a general manager for Dave & Buster’s. By this time, he had a daughter with his wife, whom he’d met back in Colorado, and he needed a career path where he knew he could strike gold.
Now living in Arkansas, he ended up becoming an assistant general manager for a D&B. Jones was sitting pretty, and life was good. He was in a stable position and was even slated to take over as the general manager once the current GM left to help open another location elsewhere. That’s when the one and only Drive Shack stuck their fishing net in the water and caught Jeremy by the lip. They reeled him in from start to finish.
Jones was in a solid position, and he genuinely wasn’t looking for another job. However, Drive Shack stumbled upon his profile on LinkedIn. The company liked his career experience, so they contacted him. A single phone call from them turned into many more, and the connection between the two started to pick up momentum. Potentially working for Drive Shack became more of a reality for Jeremy, and he started to consider it seriously. He says they pitched quite the convincing arguments to him, so he eventually decided to take the leap and join the team. To him, rejecting an opportunity was somewhat hasty; no one ever knows what another open door leads to. So, in August of 2017, he packed up his bags along with his wife and daughter and moved to Florida.
The new golf and entertainment structure known as Drive Shack is currently being built in Lake Nona and is Jeremy Jones’ latest project. As the assistant general manager for the company, his duty is to oversee their team, guests, sales and profits. Jones will ultimately aid in maintaining a smooth run for the facility. For him, this will be slightly different from his past jobs since the company is the first of its kind. He describes the handling of Drive Shack as “taking this thing from infancy into a full-fledged operation and making it work.” He had never gotten the opportunity to help build a company from scratch, so this chance thrills him.
When asking Jeremy what makes traveling to different places and working in different environments worth it, he’ll say it is the people part of it. It gives him the chance to make lifelong friends. Whether it’s he who helped the person or they who have helped him, it’s a connection and a special relationship to gain with someone. Being a part of the Drive Shack team is another professional bond he will warmly nurture.
The residents of Lake Nona can anticipate the opening of Drive Shack in Q1 2018. It will be a three-story golf complex on a 14-acre plot of land. It will have a lounge area, restaurant and, of course, driving ranges. Jeremy expresses that it will be the new hot spot to visit in Lake Nona. Whether you’re a golfer or not, you’ll enjoy the complex. The new company hopes to be a contributing member to the area as they positively influence it with great service and entertainment.
Note: Speaking of impacting the community, Drive Shack is currently hiring! Go to driveshack.com/careers to check out job opportunities.