Dan has been in the hospitality industry for close to 30 years, but his love of all things food goes back much further. Steeped in a culture of gastronomy from a young age — one set of his grandparents owned a Jewish deli in The Bronx, NY and the other set came from large Italian and Greek families — Dan developed a deep knowledge and love for cooking that he has carried into his professional endeavors. Having sampled cuisine on 5 continents, more than anything, he enjoys exploring food trends both old and new and looking for ways to add a twist to traditional and timeless offerings.
Originally from South Florida, Dan’s restaurant career has taken him to New York, the Florida Keys, and now the Florida Panhandle, which he has called home since 2016. He has been the proprietor of a steakhouse, run an upscale pizza restaurant, and the COO of a Chef-owned restaurant group where he helped develop, launch, and operate several unique concepts including a beach-front restaurant, an up-cycled shipping container bar, and a frozen cocktail walk-up to name a few. Some of his more notable career highlights include being chosen as a company delegate to travel with the USAF to the Middle East to feed our troops at five bases in four countries, leading a team to cook for The Florida Governor’s Inauguration Dinner, and being part of a team that cooked at the famed James Beard House in NYC twice.
To serve his community, Dan has been a member of the Dune Lakes Elementary School Improvement Board since 2017 and is currently on the board of the Seaside Schools as well as the Marketing & Communications Committee of the Walton County Tourism Department. Previously, Dan served as a Trustee for Pt. Washington United Methodist Church and was the Chair of the Vision & Mission Committee for Dune Lakes Elementary School. Currently, he is the President of the Northwest Florida Chapter and member of the state board of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, the largest organization of its kind in the country.
When he is not pursuing his passion, Dan enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, the outdoors, and is an avid fitness enthusiast. He and his wife, Joannah, have three children — Peyton, Lincoln, and Scarlett.
Lance Stokes is a lifelong entrepreneur and tech connoisseur with over a decade of experience as a business leader, innovator and operator.
After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas in 2009 with his bachelor’s in business management, he enrolled in the University’s MBA program while pursuing a full-time career in technology with Hewlett Packard. Lance also started his first business during this time by developing and launching a small apparel company as a side hustle; a derivative of a class project. That small company evolved into a sunglass accessories startup that achieved nearly a million in sales in 18 months via online and traditional retail channels.
Lance sold his interest in that company in 2012, and he and his wife, Lauren, started a women’s apparel company that achieved a great amount of success in a short amount of time. Lance was integral in scaling the operations of the business that grew from a quarter million in sales to over 13 million in annual revenue in just under three years. That growth landed the company at number 53 on the Forbes 500 for 2017.
He built and supervised a multi-state sales operation, and he formed a digital team of eight employees responsible for 4.5 million dollars of annual online revenue. This company eventually sold to an international manufacturing group in late 2018. Lance led the complex financial and legal restructuring that led to the closing of the acquisition.
Today, Lance is actively involved in the restaurant and beverage space with No Reservations Restaurant Group.
When Lance isn’t building, creating or consulting, he’s spending time with his family including his wife Lauren and three children, Lofton, Linden, and Livingston.
Nick grew up in Southern California, where he grew accustomed to coastal vibes and great multi-cultural food. He got his first taste of the hospitality industry at his uncle's restaurant at age 13 and continued to work his way through high school and college, learning every position along the way. After college, Nick had plans to become a firefighter, but while on his way to Atlanta to begin his new career he took a detour to 30A — and never left.
In 1998, he accepted — what he refers to as — his “first real cooking job” at Vin’tij under Chef, and mentor, John Jacob. During his tenure there, he developed his personal cooking style, learned how to build a healthy kitchen culture, and gained invaluable industry knowledge. Most importantly, while working at Vin’tij he met his wife, Cheryl.
Through a long and storied career in many successful kitchens, Nick has developed a distinct Asian flare with his culinary creations, but never hesitates to show off his impressive versatility in cooking styles on his menus. With over 25 years in the local community, Nick has helped launch and operate many beloved restaurants on the Emerald Coast including Basmati’s, Fish Out Of Water, Abrazzo, Café Rendezvous, and Farm & Fire.
When Nick is not busy perfecting his craft, he and his wife Cheryl can be found supporting the local community and businesses and enjoying life along the Emerald Coast with their daughter, Capri.
