Management
Robert L. Jennings
CEO, Director
With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant and investment industries, Rob Jennings, a principal of Westmoore Inc, the majority shareholders of Harry's Pacific Grill (“HPG”), currently oversees concept, strategy and growth as president and CEO of HPG.
His passion for the foodservice industry stems from a variety of opportunities allowing him to work closely with some of San Diego’s best-known commercial establishments. Rob’s career interests include a near simultaneous evolution into the investment industry, during which time he obtained his Series 4, 7, 24 and 63 licenses.
His tenure in the investment industry started with Royal Energy, where he represented the company’s various limited partnership funds. His financial expertise includes trading millions of dollars in the stock and options markets, as well as teaching options seminars. Mr. Jennings’ career highlights include the founding of Mission Capital Investment Group, as well as being recruited to run C.K. Cooper’s institutional sales department following their merger with Mission Capital and co-founding Westmoore Management and Westmoore Trading Company. During his tenure overseeing the Trading Company he specialized in executing transactions for money managers, institutions, and various hedge funds.
Leading the vision for HPG, Rob oversees the company’s strategic expansion and site evaluation for new locations in new markets and in his 4 years with HPG, he has developed the company from a start-up concept to a multi-million dollar organization. Rob claims that much of his leadership techniques and passion are due, in part, to his infantry background with the U.S. Marine Corps. The Custom Restaurant and Hospitality Group embodies Rob’s vision of a multi-unit restaurant chain renowned for product quality and focus on exemplary customer service. He very much looks forward to what CRHG can accomplish in the years to come.
Charlie Candelas
President of Operations
Mr. Candelas brings over 23 years of leadership managing profit building in operations, systems enhancement and implementation, corporate asset management and development principally in the hospitality industry at an executive level. His extremely successful track record spans start-up, joint venture, restructure, acquisition, turn-around, risk and change management. His skill set encompasses the full spectrum of retail yield management disciplines with specialized expertise in the areas of capital budgets, strategic planning, contract negotiations, marketing, database development and human resource management in both the hospitality and retail industries.
Notable career achievements include the direction of multi-million dollar turnarounds and start-ups in the entertainment theme, environmental concept, sporting event and retail sectors. He has surveyed and evaluated large project capital acquisitions and grown multi-million dollar sales 14% to 19% annually at a number of start-up, turnaround, and stagnant operations. Simultaneously, his negotiating skills have saved millions of dollars annually with 14% to 17% savings through the exececution of innovative bulk purchase agreements and best-practice supply chain logisitics management.
Mr. Candelas has created and implemented successful multi-million dollar marketing plans and sales proposals from concept through to fulfillment; identified and developed market penetration opportunities; forecast field sales and tangential goals; defined and set product pricing; and ultimately assisted in the creation of highly successful advertising and promotional campaigns.
Since 2004, Mr. Candelas has been the President of Operations for Harry’s Pacific Grill in California. He was Vice President of Operations at Wolfgang Puck Restaurants and was instrumental in the turn-around of this 20 unit Santa Monica-based chain. Previous to this, he was Director of Operations and led a period of growth for the western operations of the Darden Restaurant Group / Olive Gardens 600 unit operation headquartered in Orlando, FL.
Recognized for advanced accomplishments as well as goal directed team leadership, he is a diversified achiever and innovator alongside his proven ability to timely provide key executives with vital financial information. Mr. Candelas attended Central Florida University’s Executive Development Program as well as the Culinary Institute of America. He has delivered presentations on a variety of themes to industry groups and sector analysts as well as developing and offering topical seminars. Mr. Candelas is currently a resident of Hermosa Beach, CA.
Katheryn Overcash
Director
Ms. Overcash is a financial and communications industry professional who previously held corporate liaison roles with several financial market lenders and their respective diverse client base. Her responsibility included regular interaction with senior corporate management under the auspices of organizations such as ANI Mortgage of San Diego, and First Financial Lending LLC of La Jolla. Currently, she provides a singular position of responsibility working closely with the senior executives of Westmoore Management LLC within their hospitality investment division focusing principally on their management of the Harry's Pacific Grill chain of restaurants. Ms. Overcash is a licensed Notary Public and long time resident of Southern California. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and has significant experience working in all aspects of media relations as well as corporate communications.