How a Storytelling Ph.D. and a Steakhouse Veteran Built a Hospitality Powerhouse in Las Vegas

Alexandra Lourdes, a content strategist with a PhD, and Steve Jerome, a seasoned operator, are the co-founders of Refined Hospitality Group. With viral videos, smart storytelling, and operational excellence, they’ve built one of Las Vegas’ most successful restaurant groups—where community and content drive every concept.

Watch now to learn how a happy hour turned into business, why content became a secret weapon, and how two friends built one of Vegas’ most successful restaurant groups

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[03:13] – Reaching 5 Million Followers Across Social Media

[05:11] – Doughnuts that stand out

[12:32] – Why They Created The Refined Restaurant Group

[16:11] – Opening Café Lola to Work Upstairs, Serve Downstairs

[21:00] – What It Means to Be Nimble in Hospitality

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Episode Links

The Refined Agency

Alexandra Lourdes Instagram

Alexandra Lourdes TikTok

Alexanda Lourdes LinkedIn

Steve Jerome LInkedin

Lin Smith Jerome

Café Lola TikTok

Saint Honoré Doughnuts

Saint Honoré Doughnuts Instagram

3 Little Chicks

3 Little Chicks TikTok

Key Takeaways:

Content Is Their Superpower: Alexandra Lourdes didn’t wait for customers to show up—she filmed what she was already doing. Those early “day in the life” videos brought in millions of views and built a community before the lines ever formed.

Start Small, Move Fast: From throwing a happy hour to opening Café Lola, Steve Jerome and Alexandra Lourdes built their restaurant group by staying nimble. Their concepts are intentional, personal, and born from real gaps they experienced themselves.

Partnerships Built on Trust Work: With Alexandra focused on content and Steve on operations, the two have grown Refined into one of Las Vegas’ most successful restaurant groups by staying in sync—and staying in their lanes.

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ABOUT ALEXANDRA LOURDES —

Alexandra Lourdes, Ph.D is a well known entrepreneur & the co-founder of Refined Restaurant Group, which specializes in creating unique & modern restaurant concepts that have now been widely recognized. Her restaurant brands include Café Lola, Saint Honoré Doughnuts & Beignets, Pizza Anonymous, 3 Little Chicks & an online couture gifting site LolaXO.com Alexandra is also the co-founder of The Refined Agency, a social media and interactive marketing agency in Las Vegas, NV which has created one of the largest female empowerment events in Las Vegas, called Women Who Slay. Lourdes has been featured in several publications including: Vegas Magazine, Vegas Rated, and she was featured as one of the five most empowered Women in Luxury Magazine.

ABOUT STEVE JEROME

Steve Jerome is a Partner at Refined Restaurant Group, bringing years of hospitality experience to help shape the culinary direction behind the group’s diverse concepts. Originally from Auburn, New York, and now a long-time Las Vegas resident, Stephen earned his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. With over two decades in the industry, Stephen has become a respected leader in Las Vegas’ food and beverage scene. He’s had the opportunity to open and manage several award-winning restaurants with notable names like Wolfgang Puck, Elizabeth Blau, and Steve Wynn.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media