We’re looking forward to introducing you to Doug Zeif. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Doug, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I have had a lot of moments lately that have made me feel proud! Firstly, my sons are all tracking nicely in their chosen “activities”- work, school, etc. Secondly, the new restaurant we opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan- Echelon Kitchen & Bar- has been a HUGE source of pride and validation for me. The dozens and dozens of Guests who have approached me in the dining room and told me how wonderful the experience was and how its the best restaurant in town have really validated what I do professionally and, after all these years, is really rewarding. All of the concepts I/we have created have been huge creative successes with the dining public.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Doug Zeif, a lifelong student of the global food and beverage industry and the principal of Next Hospitality Advisors, a consultancy that works with clients in more than 15 countries. I’ve been immersed in this business for nearly my entire life—starting at just 14 years old—across restaurants, bars, and hotels and resorts. What’s never changed is my passion for the industry: the people, the product, and the opportunity to build a life doing what I love.
Our firm specializes in a wide range of disciplines, including concept and menu development, menu engineering, logistics and procurement, technology integration, and kitchen and bar design. We take great pride in our work, and many of our clients return to us again and again because we consistently deliver on our promises—and we do so with integrity and purpose.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
That’s a really meaningful question, and the honest answer is that I’m still in the process of figuring out who I am. I know that might sound late in life, but self-discovery has been a long journey for me—guided mostly by a small circle of mentors and a lot of independent navigation. I didn’t have much direction at home growing up; my parents were dealing with their own struggles, and as an only child, I learned early how to find my own way.
If I have any concern at all, it’s simply the awareness of time—that feeling of wanting to fully become who I’m meant to be while I still can. But I see that as the beauty of it too. Every experience, every challenge, and every interaction has shaped the person I’m still becoming.
My wife, Jenn, has had a profound impact on me without ever trying to. Her altruism, clarity, and solution-oriented view of the world inspire me daily to be better than I was before we met. Above all, I want to be the best husband I can be to her and the best parent I can be to our kids.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would simply be: *you matter.* Your voice matters. Your struggles matter. The confusion, the doubt, the longing to find your place in the world—it all matters. You don’t have to earn your worth through perfection, productivity, or approval. You are already enough, exactly as you are, in every imperfect and uncertain moment.
I would remind that younger version of me that being sensitive is not a weakness, that setbacks are not failures, and that some of the hardest seasons are shaping the strongest parts of who you will become. And I would want him to know that one day, he will build a life filled with meaning, purpose, love, and people who truly see him—and that all of it started right where he stands.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I admire a person named Bill Stein for his character, not his power. Bill was the global head of a division of one of the world’s largest private equity firms for more than two dozen years and probably made a boat-load of money doing it. Bill has the wherewithal to have and do anything and everything he wants but he chooses not to wear all of that on his sleeve and he doesn’t wield the power he possesses unless pushed to a limit.
I have worked tangentially with Bill for over 20 years and have recently engaged in a business venture with him and I have found him to be the same person I thought he was- thoughtful, generous, incredibly intelligent, flexible and eager to move “things” forward.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace on Wailea Beach in Maui—sometimes sitting at the water’s edge, sometimes floating just beyond it—beside my wife. A drink close by, a book within reach, our hands finding each other without thinking. In those quiet moments, there’s an unspoken understanding between us, a shared awareness of how rare and fleeting contentment can be—and how fully we are inside it when it arrives.
Peace, I’ve learned, doesn’t come without its counterweight. The moment you learn you’re going to be a parent, worry becomes part of the fabric of your life. It never really leaves—it simply changes shape as your child grows from infancy to adolescence and beyond. You start to understand that vigilance is the price of love. And sleep? True, unguarded sleep becomes a memory. Not because of fear exactly, but because your heart now lives partially outside your body. And so does mine. And so does my wife’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nexthospitality.com
- Instagram: @next_advisors
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-zeif-47030011/
