John Paul O'Neil, General Manager/Owner

Words like hospitality, warmth, consideration, respect, caring service and sharing enjoyment have guided John-Paul O’Neil’s life and his career as a restaurateur. Growing up in New York he always sensed that he belonged in the restaurant business and admired his father, a senior executive with a major restaurant company. He regards him as his first and best mentor who impressed upon him the importance of respect, sincerity and enjoyment in relationships.

John-Paul’s own restaurant career started when he attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, graduating with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration. While in college, he interned at The Four Seasons restaurant gaining experience in purchasing, reservations, dining room service and front of house management. The Four Seasons set a high service standard for his future.

After graduation, John-Paul joined Eleven Madison Park and was quickly promoted to Service Manager. It was during his four years with Danny Meyer’s organization that he truly developed his natural ability to relate to staff and guests. Subsequently as General Manager of Blue Hill Restaurant in Greenwich Village, he was rewarded to see the Zagat Survey increase the restaurant’s ratings for service, something that he personally considers the most memorable attribute of a restaurant. “The cuisine is an immediate pleasure, but you never forget the way you were greeted and treated” he says.

Following Blue Hill, John-Paul was General Manager at The Harrison restaurant when Frank Bruni of The New York Times complimented the service in his Diner’s Journal. John-Paul was inspired by Mr. Bruni’s observation, “In too many Manhattan restaurants, diners are greeted in a way that says, ‘Lucky you.’ At the Harrison, diners are greeted in a fashion that says, ‘Lucky us.’” These words have been a guiding mantra in John-Paul’s own restaurant. It was also at The Harrison that he met chef Brian Bistrong, his current partner in their joint venture Braeburn.

John-Paul O’Neil’s passion for his profession comes from a genuine desire to care for the people he works with, the guests that come to dine at his restaurant and the community of which he is part. He looks forward to establishing Braeburn as a local restaurant attracting a loyal clientele who enjoy recommending it to their friends.
In John-Paul’s words, “you must create a sense of warmth and that starts with treating your own people with respect and consideration. You have to recognize your guests as individuals and read them in order to understand what they want from their dining experience. Customers should be offered what they need without feeling badgered. They should feel special but never scrutinized. Most of all, I believe I am lucky to have them as my guests at Braeburn.”