CEOs of two of Long Island’s most successful family-owned hospitality businesses gave advice from hiring to expansion at the latest Schneps Connects breakfast, designed to provide resources and networking.

Businesspeople on May 20 met, broke bread and enjoyed the opportunity to hear about the experience and expertise of the leaders of Long Island’s best-known hospitality companies.

Michael Lessing, CEO of Lessing’s Hospitality Group, and David Hersh, who with his wife Rachel founded Rooted Hospitality Group, spoke at the networking breakfast at The Mansion at Oyster Bay in Woodbury.

Schneps Connects is a membership-based networking group that brings together owners from start-ups to the region’s best-known businesses, as well as professionals such as bankers, accountants and attorneys.

Members enjoy access to Schneps’ reach, connections and resources. Attendees at this breakfast ranged from start-ups to Merrill Zorn, owner of Zorn’s, one of Long Island’s better known family-owned businesses.

“When you talk about what these two gentlemen do, a lot of it’s about white glove service and exceeding customer expectations. That’s what we try to do,” said Oasis Senior Advisory President Matt Virgilio. “Everybody’s in hospitality. Everybody’s in the service industry.”

Ryan Koutsogainnis, a business banker at TD Bank and a Schneps Connects member who has worked in the hospitality industry, noted the variety of businesses.

“There are people from many different industries. It gives me an opportunity to meet people I wouldn’t meet,” Koutsogainnis said. “Not only do you get a meal and networking. You get an affirmative speaker. It’s a great way to start the day. The people who come to these events are really value added.”

Marc Lawrence, senior managing director at 1031 ExchangeSolutions and a Schneps Connects member, appreciated “interesting insight on the hospitality industry.”

“There were a lot of good takeaways on how to run longstanding successful businesses,” Lawrence said. “In addition to other great attendees to meet, people I want to say ‘hello’ to.”

Source: LI Press