An Interview w/ Phillip Jones, senior service manager from Christopher’s World Grill - Jonathan Campbell

 

Christopher’s is a gastronomic vision standing in the middle of an idyllic central Texas grass field, much as it did when the house was built in 1913. Featuring the culinary creations of an award winning saucier, the restaurant stands as a fine dining experience in a town that, before, held nothing of this caliber. The service, of course, runs at a comparable level to the food, and the man who has been in charge of the front of house since the opening in 1999 is a welsh man from a poor neighborhood in London.

Phil claims his leadership skills were honed as a young man working in his local pub, where he held his first job at age 15. This job instilled a strong work ethic, which “is the first step in leading others, no one likes working for a lazy bastard”. He carried this work ethic into a job manning luxury cruise ships sailing around Europe. It was on one of these journeys he met Christopher Lampo, who would later go on to found Christopher’s.

Over the years, the two developed a close working relationship, and when Chris returned to Texas to found the restaurant, he convinced Phil to join him as a managing partner.  “He saw me working, you know what I mean? He saw me working hard, working smart, and extended me the offer.”

Since 1999 and his first years of leadership, Phil has changed as experience taught him. “I was a hardass in the beginning, I was on people for everything, you know what I mean? I had it my way, and that was it, you know what I mean?”. Since then, he has tempered his manner, instead focusing on fostering relationships with his employees.