Jason Fletcher
Owner, High Street Hospitality Group
Born just a few miles north of Oklahoma City in a town of only 500 people, High Street Hospitality Group’s owner Jason Fletcher would eventually leave the quaint confines of middle America to pursue a global career in IT until the restaurant business fastened his roots to Greenville.
After high school, Fletcher traveled south to work in a lumberyard in Dallas. There, he would a meet a recruiter for a young company owned by famed American businessman and onetime presidential candidate Ross Perot.
Fletcher began a career with Perot Systems in 1994, working in inventory control initially and later joining the information technology aspect of the business, where he hit his stride. Following nine years of company growth and personal advancement, Fletcher credits Perot as a significant mentor.
“Ross taught me a lot about life and business, and I will never forget him signing a 26 percent increase in my salary,” he said.
While working for Perot Systems, Fletcher began traveling the world doing technology consulting.
“I took over the sales efforts and traveled 80 to 100,000 miles each year until settling in Germany,” he said.
Following his arrival in Munich and an amicable split with Perot Systems, the Oklahoma native decided to go into the IT business for himself. He remained in Germany for five years while he traveled the world working on projects for BMW, until the carmaker’s management beckoned him to Greenville to support its efforts at CU-ICAR.
By July of 2009, Fletcher decided to follow the dreams of many red-blooded Americans by opening his own bar, The Green Room, in Greenville.
In an effort to keep things fresh, Fletcher continued opening distinct restaurants in the city, until Floyd’s Oyster House and Cajun Kitchen, SIP Rooftop Lounge and The Loft at Falls Park joined the Green Room to make up the High Street Hospitality Group.
“My grandmother was an English war bride who came over after World War II, and I lived in England for a while as well,” he said. “All of my locations are on Main Street, and High Street is the English version of that phrase.”
Was there one particular restaurant that inspired you to build your own?
My favorite restaurant in the world is down a little alley in Barcelona, Spain, called Els Quatre Gats. I went there for the first time in the late 1990s. Picasso painted the front cover of their menu. My favorite restaurant here is The Green Room because it is everything I want in a bar.
After traveling the world and visiting different restaurants around the globe, did you take certain aspects from each of those you visited and assign them to your own in Greenville?
Yes, but mostly around menu development. Living in Munich, I was spoiled by everything being made fresh and in-house, and that is why everything is fresh in The Green Room. Of course, traveling around the world can give you a lot of cool ideas for flavors.
What about the Greenville market makes it so conducive for opening a restaurant?
Greenville’s restaurant market is the residual effect of neighboring cities such as Charleston and Savannah. Charleston has restaurants noted in national publications, and with Greenville being so close, consumers are adventurous enough to support us.
What is the greatest asset to Greenville’s downtown business community?
Restaurant owners in downtown Greenville work together well. It is not a cutthroat business environment and we reach out to help one another.
What is the greatest obstacle to business downtown?
The traffic and lack of parking is the greatest obstacle.
What do you do for yourself?
I love to play golf and I love wine. I really enjoy getting to know the background stories of wine and visiting wineries.
If you could change places with someone in the world, who would it be?
I would trade places with or live the life of my grandfather, Don Wright, who always has provided me with great advice in life and has inspired me to always chase my dreams. He is 93 now, and even last year as I was in the middle of some life-changing events was able to connect with me and show me love, direction and support. He is the best version of man that I know.
