Chris Viola

After graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Chris Viola honed his skills in operations, leadership, and hospitality with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. But with entrepreneurship in his DNA, it wasn’t long before he set out to build something of his own. In 2008, Chris launched The Taco Truck, transforming a single truck in Hoboken into a beloved fast-casual brand with locations stretching from Boston to Philly. After successfully exiting the business in 2015, he founded Culture Collective, a hospitality group that now owns and operates three dynamic restaurants in Asbury Park, a food hall and gourmet market in Red Bank, and a design-build construction firm specializing in large-scale hospitality projects. Chris’s latest venture, Tessa, is an AI-powered facilities and asset management agent built for multi-unit restaurant operators who don’t have time to chase vendors, coordinate repairs, or manage preventative maintenance. Acting like a street-smart operator behind the scenes, Tessa keeps locations running smoothly so teams can stay focused on guests, not broken equipment. Whether he’s designing a space, crafting a menu, or building technology, Chris brings his signature blend of warmth, precision, and forward-thinking to every project.