“Hospitality is a gift we can all give,” says General Manager Eric Alessi. His enthusiasm for memorable moments around the dinner table was heavily influenced by the Italian family culture he grew up in. Eric is thoroughly inspired by the opportunity to create pleasurable dining experiences for his guests – it’s in his DNA.
His professional start began at Passion8 Bistro, a farm-to-table restaurant with global accents. It didn’t take long to recognize how naturally his passion could translate to the business. Energized by the revelation, he would eagerly join the team at Wolfgang Puck Worldwide to open a fresh concept in South Park. While at WP, he set out to test his ideas and devote himself to crafting a fantastic guest experience.
Eric soon realized he was smack dab in the middle of a burgeoning food scene here in Charlotte, and capitalized on the opportunity to sharpen his skills in different concepts. He was instrumental in opening new concepts with the Bottle Cap Group – such as Ink-N-Ivy, training across the country with Topgolf, managing at Basil Thai, and operating multiple locations with the Duckworth’s group at The Cellar and Link and Pin.
Humbled to partner with the gifted team at The Goodyear House, Eric is eager to do his part to see the GYH become the preferred choice when dining in Noda, by leading and developing a special group of people, who are truly excited about mastering the art of the guest experience. With the Queen City recently named among the top seven most exciting American cities for food, Eric sees The Goodyear House poised to make a greater impact on the dynamic and emergent food culture here in Charlotte.
On a personal note, Eric loves playing any-and-all sports, though he equally enjoys being behind a camera lens or laptop screen. Eric’s also one of those guys who dared to consume the 7 Million Scoville unit hot sauce. Now that’s commitment!