Jeremiah has been involved in opening more than a dozen restaurants. He started his career in the restaurant business in 1990 while he attended USC film school, at the same time working for Oscar-winning film producer Alex Ho for two years. When the film community was faced with a yearlong strike, Jeremiah turned towards his other passion, traveling and observing operation details at unique hotels and restaurants around the world. He loved the hospitality business and saw many similarities in what drew him to film: Entertainment, attention to detail, and directing a crew to achieve a successful outcome. In 2000 Jeremiah's career path became clear to him.

Jeremiah was the Chief Operating Officer of the multi-unit company EFC-HCT Enterprises, (Enterprise Fish Company and Hurry Curry of Tokyo Restaurants). In 2007 the owner of Santa Monica Seafood asked him to open Santa Monica Seafood's new Flagship store on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. Jeremiah was named Director of Operations for Retail, and focused on opening the new store, while streamlining and improving the operating procedures at Santa Monica Seafood's Commissary Kitchen and their Costa Mesa store.

Jeremiah was hired by a Restaurant & Nightclub group in Santa Barbara to implement improved restaurant and bar operating procedures for Blush Restaurant and Lounge and Tonic Nightclub. Next, he opened The Marquee Martini Bar, a speak-easy, located in the historic Granada Theatre. A remodel of the historic Savoy Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara and a new restaurant and sports lounge in Isla Vista is slated for early 2010.

Jeremiah is a top-performing visionary with twenty years of experience in analyzing business drivers, designing operational systems, building staff, and developing cost-cutting and profit-building initiatives to grow the bottom-line. Jeremiah specializes in strategic planning, marketing, brand development and P&L management. This industry experience gives Jeremiah the necessary skills to assist any restaurateur with in streamlining operations and implementing cost saving alternatives.

Cobi Jones is a partner in the very successful restaurant Magnolia, located in Hollywood and Downtown at LA Live. Cobi is the current Assistant Coach of The Los Angeles Galaxy, and a recently retired LA Galaxy midfielder. Cobi played his entire twelve-year professional career with one club; he was the LA Galaxy's all-time leader in games played (281), goals (66) and assists (86). He is one of three players in MLS history to have scored 60 or more goals and added 80 or more assists and was named an All-Star in each of MLS' first ten seasons.

Cobi is an Olympian, participating in the summer games in Barcelona in 1992. He is a U.S. National Team player, participating in three World Cups in 1994, 1998, and 2002. In 1998 he was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year and Honda’s Player of the Year.

He won his first MLS Cup Championship in 2002 as Captain of the team, after he anchored the LA Galaxy to its first championships in club history, the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the 2001 U.S. Open Cup.

Cobi was then a major part of the LA Galaxy team that did "The Double" in 2005, winning both the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup for a second time. The all-time leader in caps (appearances with the U.S. National Team), and third in the world, with 164 from 1992-2004, he retired from professional play in 2007.  In 2007 the LA Galaxy retired his number 13, making it the first number retired in MLS history.

Cobi is the Assistant Coach for the LA Galaxy, and continues to maintain an active presence in soccer and the LA community, acting as a Soccer Consultant; he is a partner in Comp Athletic Training Zone, and a partner in the Hollywood/Downtown Magnolia restaurant and invests heavily in many green progressive projects in the LA area. Cobi is also very active in America Scores and Right to Play, two charity organizations he feels very passionately about.

After working and playing in professional sports for 18 years Cobi has acquired invaluable business experience and team leadership training, with many contacts in Los Angeles and worldwide that will contribute to HJL Groups success.

As a teenager, Scott discovered his passion and pursued his dream to become a chef at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. Upon his graduation, he traveled all over the Northeast and Europe working with world-class chefs to gain the best experiences while honing his cooking craft. Scott has worked in Michelin rated restaurants owned by chef Gordon Ramsey.

During the travels, he took away the knowledge and understanding of food quality, culture and how food relates to people's lifestyles. He also gained the experience and a broad outlook of food and wines from around the world.

In 1997, Scott relocated to the West Coast as a Chef for the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills where he supervised all of the kitchen departments, menu development, and special events. There he learned how important that every details is, and how demanding the very best of ingredients equals excellence, a motto he continues to practice everyday.

In 2002, he accepted a position as the executive chef for the Napa Valley Grille in Westwood, California. As executive chef, he was responsible for the creation of the recipes by continuing to develop the style and improve the quality of food. While working at Napa Valley Grille, Scott discovered the style of cooking that he enjoys.

Prior to becoming the executive chef at Soleil@k in San Diego in 2006, Scott worked in a few Michelin rated restaurants owned and operated by Chef Gordon Ramsay in London.

Recently Chef Scott was pursued by Santa Monica Seafood to develop the menu and assist in branding the oyster bar and cafe in Santa Monica Seafood's new flagship retail store on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. Scott cites his "early employment history and affection for Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod in the summer as a big influence" on his choices for the menu. Since opening, the public approval has been overwhelming, the cafe has gained tremendous press and local accolades.

Currently Scott can be seen on Fox's #1 rated show "Hells Kitchen" as Gordon Ramsey's sous chef and has appeared several times on The Food Network's series, "Party Starters" and the "Challenge" series. He also evaluates and consults with Gordon Ramsay on all of the restaurants on the hit series "Kitchen Nightmares". Chef Leifbfried is well renowned in the culinary industry and has been invited as a guest Chef at the James Beard House, Crystal Cruise Lines, Compass Group and at Nationwide Food and Wine Expos.

Diego began his career in Lima, Peru as a Marketing Manager at an IT consulting company. It was here Diego learned how to create successful marketing campaigns for the Government of Peru, and various consulting, sports, travel, and medical companies. Diego planned, budgeted and created outstanding marketing campaigns in this position. After eight years Diego decided to move into the sales world. He worked for Acer, selling worldwide. Diego was quickly promoted to Business Manager, responsible for the sales in the entire distribution channel: wholesalers, distributors and customers. As Business Manager Diego was responsible for sales, budgets, projections, and channel distribution.

Jeremiah and Diego met at Santa Monica Seafood in 2008, where Diego was in charge of cash management, inventory and payroll. In a few short months Diego was promoted to Inventory Control Supervisor at Santa Monica Seafood's Wholesale Department. An entrepreneur at heart, Diego is also running his own advertising company, offering services such as a media buyer, a sales consultant, a marketing advisor, and offering media planning and development.

As an Advisor for HJL Group, Diego will work with you to create restaurant operating budgets, build restaurant templates, and provide management and bookkeeper training for your new or existing restaurant.

Michael Anderson is a native Californian. Known for his specialization for bar operations and quality control, Michael has turned failing bars and restaurants to gold mines. He has worked in many restaurants from Southern California to New York. Holding positions from bartenders to beverage director, Michael has worked his way through the tricky business, learning from the ground up. His experience spans over 24 years, and he has gained valuable insight from the best in the industry such as P.F. Chang's, Enterprise Fish Company, Bond Street, and most recently, Santa Monica Seafood.

Raised in Ojai, Michael has a natural love for good food, wine, and spirits. He started his first love affair with the hospitality industry at the age of 15 making and delivering pizzas. His benchmark moved into the beverage industry was when he accepted a position as a bartender with Enterprise Fish Company. At Enterprise Fish Company, one of Santa Monica's longest running restaurants, Michael met Jeremiah Higgins. The two became instant friends and have worked together to mover their way up the ladder and hold executive positions. Both are credited for pioneering the once failing seafood restaurant and bar to its now landmark success.

Michael decided to broaden his horizon and go east. Landing in New York City in 2003, Michael went to work for Jonathan Morr's famed restaurant and bar, Bond Street. Here he learned refined Japanese fusion trends. From sushi to sakes, Michael had the opportunity to work alongside with two highly recognized chefs: Hiroshi Nakahara and Linda Rodriquez. As time moved forward, there was a yearning in Michael that called him back home. All aboard, west he returned.

Taking time to be closer to his family, Michael took a position managing the bar at Cafe Fiore in Ventura, Ca. Here he propelled the wine and martini bar into much greater success by creating new cocktails and demanding high standards. This led him to contract his consulting skills to area bars including his once employer, Enterprise Fish Company. Since then, Enterprise Fish Company, now EFC Enterprises had expanded to house four additional restaurants in four different cities. Together again, Michael began consulting for their beverage department at their main office to running and maintaining all four locations and their beverage programs.

As new innovative and modern trends of dining and entertaining sweeps through Los Angeles, Michael's expertise is high in demand His recent ventures include a repeat of his history once again. He was asked to help open Bond St Beverly Hills in The Thompson Hotel in 2007 and his reunion to work with Jeremiah again at Santa Monica Seafood as the Beverage Manager and Wine Buyer for their newly opened flagship location.