Hospitality Design - September 2021 - 61

Damon Lawrence
CEO
Homage Hospitality
Oakland, California
What are your fi rst memories of hospitality?
Growing up, my parents always threw large parties at our home in
Pasadena, California. We would have more than 200 people at our house.
That experience later spilled over into a store that they owned for several
years. They would entertain, and my mom would sing. They sold so much of
their merchandise during these parties because the vibe encouraged people
to take a piece of the experience home with them. It was a powerful thing
to witness as a child, especially since my parents were Black entrepreneurs.
That was my fi rst introduction into how you can create a business out of
doing all the things you naturally love to do.
Memorable career stop?
My time working for the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC. My understanding
of service at the highest level for some of the most high-profi le clientele in
the world was a unique experience that I'll forever cherish. I learned some of
my most important lessons with that brand-the most important being the
value employee loyalty has on consumer loyalty.
What drew you to hospitality?
As a multidisciplinary creative, it was the fi rst thing I had ever done that
captured my full att ention. Real estate, design, culinary, music, art, and
fashion all rolled up into one discipline. For the fi rst time in my life, my
brain could wander from interest to interest without ever leaving the same
industry. Suddenly my thinking didn't seem so scatt ered.
Why did you decide to go out on your own?
I like having the ability to dictate your own legacy. When I decided to start
Homage [the hospitality company he founded in 2016 to illuminate Black
narratives in the industry], the one thing that kept repeating in my head was
something my grandmother told me: 'Youth is wasted on the young.' I used
my youth to my advantage and took that time to make my mistakes along the
way before I started to pile up too many responsibilities.
First work-related reality check?
It's the biggest reality check to date: COVID-19. For the fi rst time in my
career, I questioned if I wanted to continue on this path. We had just sold
our fi rst project and were under contract on our second when the world
changed. I started to wonder if I needed to pivot into a diff erent career. Aſt er
the protests in the summer of 2020, I refl ected on all that we've done so far
and all that we still want to accomplish. I ended up using the summer to
position myself and the brand to make a big push in 2021. It's now paying off
with a substantial pipeline of projects lined up.
Greatest professional challenge?
As a Black founder, validating our brand to investors has always been a
challenge. Many of the people we've reached out to have not been able to
understand why paying homage to Black culture is so important.
Best piece of advice you've been given?
My father told me never to create artifi cial barriers for myself. Now, I analyze
each obstacle to see if it's real or one that I created because the task is hard.
Designed by Curioso, the Hotel Gordon will be
housed in a former hotel dating from the early 1900s
A rendering of the bar and lounge in Homage's adaptive reuse
project, the Hotel Gordon, set to open in Albany in 2022
A rendering of the Homage-backed residential development
and food hall in Albany, Georgia, designed in-house
hospitalitydesign.com September 2021
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Hospitality Design - September 2021

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