Yassine Lyoubi

Owner / Director of Operations

Yassine’s passion for the restaurant business began as a young teenager spending summers working at his father’s restaurant in his native Morocco. After high school, he moved to the U.S. and attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ world-renowned hotel management program. During his college years, Yassine held various front-of-house positions from bussing tables at the Cheesecake Factory and Del Frisco’s Steakhouse, to bartending at Lettuce Entertain You’s Mon Ami Gabi, spending some time as a server at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon as well.

After completing an internship at the Four Seasons Las Vegas and gaining a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration with an F&B concentration, Yassine began his management career with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE). The industry-leading LEYE management training program was followed by several years of operational experience at the company’s Las Vegas and Chicago based stores, including taking part in the opening of Cafe Ba Ba Reeba Las Vegas.

Taking over as N9NE Steakhouse’s General Manager years later was Yassine’s first time working with Chef Barry S. Dakake. During his first stint at the Palms, he worked closely with Dakake on a refresh of the steakhouse, as well as the opening of the property’s mixology bar, Scarlet. He was able to broaden his operational expertise when promoted to Director of Restaurants for the property.

Yassine then joined the SBE and Think Food Group partnership in 2014, facilitating the opening of Bazaar Meat by José Andrés in Las Vegas as well as J by José Andrés in Mexico City one year later. In 2017 he returned to the Palms as Director of Fine Dining, launching the opening of Scotch 80 Prime alongside Chef Dakake and Marco. In 2019, Chef Dakake and Yassine founded 980 Restaurant Consulting group, traveling and consulting across the US and the Caribbean. This lead to the eventual partnership with Marco and Donnie to form Make It Happen Hospitality LLC, with the first order of business being opening Barry’s Downtown Prime.