Hospitality Design - July 2011 - 114

Corey and Craig Nyman
The Nyman Group, Ltd., Scottsdale and Las Vegas
To say brothers Corey and Craig Nyman were born with a knife and fork in their hands would be an understatement. “I was essentially born in a restaurant,” explains Craig. “My father made the doctor who was to deliver me stay for dinner that evening until my mother was ready to give birth and knew that it was just setting me up for the future.” Corey and Craig’s deep roots in the food and beverage world stem from their father, Robert J. Nyman, founder and president of the Nyman Group, Ltd., which specializes in F&B consulting services, developing food service programs, and restaurant management for such clients as Regent and Doubletree Hotels. While Robert heads up the company’s operations and client management, Corey and Craig’s mother, Judy, is also involved, handling internal operations and administration. From the time they were young, Robert made sure his sons were immersed in the culinary culture. They helped dad with menu development while in middle and high school, were ofﬁcial “taste testers” when needed, attended the American Wine & Food Festival, and worked at the kitchens of some of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants. Given their early start in the business, it was inevitable that the brothers were going to follow suit and join the family affair. “We were very lucky to be taken by our father at very young ages on various projects—always on our best behavior and dressed in suits when appropriate—and were even allowed to speak our minds when in such circles,” explains Corey.

From far left: Craig and Corey Nyman. (Photo by Al Powers/PowersImagery.com.) From top: The lounge and restaurant at the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour, one of the Nymans’ latest projects.
Although the brothers have completely different roles at the company (Corey is director of operations and Craig is director of communications, PR, and marketing), they still complement each other. “Craig knows what he knows and I know what I know, but we’re both extremely open to each other’s perspectives, viewpoints, and personalities,” says Corey. Today, the brothers are concentrating on growing the company, adding clients in the casino and gaming industry, developing a new prototype restaurant component for a major theme park and hotel operator, and supporting Pushback Wines, a developing Napa Valley winery. The guys also ﬁnd time to explore their passions. Corey, a wine connoisseur, will be launching his own pinot noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon later this year; and Craig, who is eager to attract new business and go further into the media realm, recently developed CAN Media, the media relations, social media, and marketing arm of the Nyman Group. “If you can’t trust family, who can you trust?” asks Corey. “We work in a fast-paced, 24/7 industry and you need to know that if something needs to get done or you require assistance, that your partners are going to be there for you every time.” hd

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2011