YJRG
est. 1995, NYC
Yves Jadot
Owner
At the age of 17, during the summer, Yves took over his mother’s restaurant located in the heart of Brussels while she was on vacation. When she returned, he knew it was exactly what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
In 1985, at the age of 18, he left his hometown and began his career in the United States at La Crémaillère, a French Michelin-starred restaurant in Bedford, an upscale neighborhood in New York. After managing several hotspots in New York in the early 90s, Yves decided it was time to open his own establishment. He invested all his savings into the first Petite Abeille in Chelsea. “I sold my car and my watch, and on opening day, I had $300 in the cash register, it was all the money I had left,” he recalls. The second Petite Abeille, in the Meatpacking District, was the very first restaurant to take a chance in that area—at the time a bold and pioneering move. The group grew to four locations and became a beloved New York institution.
Today, Yves is one the owners of the world-renowned bars Dear Irving—with three locations, including some of the most celebrated rooftops in New York City—and The Raines Law Room, with two highly acclaimed locations.
Expanding internationally, Yves opened Confessions in Brussels, now recognized as one of the best cocktail bars in Belgium, and Soan in Ghent.
“With a strong work ethic and a passion for providing an exceptional experience, I hope to surprise and delight guests both in New York and Belgium"
Alberto Benenati
Partner
With a professional career in commercial real estate development and investment in Paris and New York, Alberto began collaborating with YJRG as a silent partner to help the groups’ expansion. He ultimately transitioned to the operating side of the business and launched several venues together with Yves. Alberto’s experience spans hospitality, commercial real estate development and entrepreneurship in Europe and the U.S
Adyl Bennani
Partner & Director of Operations
Over the past 21 years, Adyl has played an integral role in the successful expansion of the Yves Jadot Restaurant Group. As the VP of Operations he has played an active role in the launch and daily management of the F&B venues within the YJRG portfolio. During his career in Hospitality, he has established himself as an expert leader in crisis management with keen attention to details.
Meaghan Dorman
Bar Director
Currently Bar Director of Raines Law Room and Dear Irving Meaghan oversees the bar programs, including cocktail creation, menu rotation, events and staff training. Under her watch the bar’s cocktail programs have made several national and international prestigious publications, including Tales of the Cocktail Top 10 “Best Cocktail Menu”, New York Times and GQ, among other prestigious publications.
Delphine Mauroit
Interior Designer - US
After a successful career with several world-renowned interior design firms, Delphine Mauroit founded DMDesign in 2009 continuing her passion for her craft and unique design perspective.
She started her company with the design of the first Raines Law Room and has expanded ever since, specializing in high-end residential and hospitality interior design. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Vogue, GQ and W Magazine.
Roman Volland
Director of Events
Franco Barrio
Executive Chef
Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Chef Franco Barrio began working in restaurants at age. He found a love for cooking in the kitchen with his father. Following high school, he trained in Barcelona, Spain and moved to New York in 2002.
Joe Bastianich hired him as a Wine Director’s Assistant and Floor a Manager at Casamono. It’s one of Batali’s restaurants but Executive Chef, Andy Nusser pushed him to go to culinary school. So he did.
He studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York. Franco’s first line cook job after school was Picholine (under Chef Terrance Brennan) and worked at Quality Meats for Chef Craig Koketsu at the same time.
He worked at Eleven Madison Park for Chef Daniel Humm but he returned to Barcelona, Spain for research and worked at Cal Pep for Chef Pep.
He returned to New York as Chef de Cuisine at Boqueria Flatiron working alongside Chef Seamus Mullen, together they opened Boqueria Soho. Boqueria was known for tapas that inspired him from his work in Barcelona.
After running both those operations, he ventured off to work for Chef David Chang of Momofuku Ssam Bar. He expanded his cuisine knowledge with David.
Franco also went on to win Food Network’s Chopped in August 2012. Franco has acquired a refined repertoire of cuisines and techniques under the watchful eyes of the nation’s most prestigious chefs. His passion for food goes beyond the kitchens; he has a deep concern for the Food Industry and prefers to cook with seasonal, local and sustainable foods.
In 2010, Franco became the Culinary Director for Caliu Tapas, Bespoke Kitchen and Barrio47. He then went on a two-year culinary trip for R&D in 2017.
In 2019 he joined the team at YJR Group, a fast growing hospitality group with several outstanding cocktail bars like Dear Irving and Raines Law Room.
Nicolas Vignals
Partner & Bar Director at Confessions and Soan - Belgium
Nicolas, passionate about gastronomy, studied culinary arts and spent a year in Australia to master English. He discovered cocktail bars, trained as a mixologist, and worked at Arthur Orlans in Brussels. There, he became head bartender after three years.
Later, Michelin-starred chef Yves Mattagne offered him the opportunity to lead the bar at Villa Lorraine. He combined techniques from Villa Lorraine's experienced chefs with his own, creating original cocktails. This period honed his skills for providing service at a two-star establishment.
Anno Deféche
Interior Designer - EU
Born in 1977 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Anno is a Belgian artist and interior architect who graduated with distinction from CAD in 2001. Anno lived and worked as an interior architect abroad for over 15 years before returning to Brussels in 2017. Based in New York in the early years and then in Dubai, Anno had the opportunity to collaborate and participate in numerous interior design projects and concepts over the past 20 years, primarily residential projects but also various commercial concepts (hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, offices, art galleries, etc.) in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Since 2015, Anno has also distinguished herself with a more artistic direction through personal creations that have been showcased in solo and group shows primarily in Dubai , Berlin and New York. Back in Belgium for the past 5 years, Anno has been working on various artistic and interior design projects, combining her passion for both disciplines.
Adeline Jadot
Muralist and Decorative Painter
Adeline, a Belgian-Jamaican artist in Manhattan, creates captivating works combining nature, heritage, and commentary. With a Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado and trompe l'oeil training at Van Der Kelen - Logelain in Brussels, her acrylic murals to decorative oil paintings of faux marble showcase her talent.
Working with NYC designers, Adeline embellishes establishments like "The Raines Law Room," "Dear Irving," Saks Fifth Avenue stores and Hyatt hotels. Vibrant colors, meticulous detail, and powerful storytelling define her art. Her portrait series speaks to the generation that no longer can be defined by racial categorizations. Through her art, she strives to challenge perceptions, spark conversations, and celebrate the diverse beauty of humanity.