The Woodlands, Texas — January 3, 2013 — Hubbell & Hudson, Management, LLC today announced the appointment of Kent Johnson as President and Chief Executive Officer. Hubbell & Hudson Management, LLC, oversees both Hubbell & Hudson and the Black Walnut Café concepts. The company, with headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, has over 500 employees in the Greater Houston area.
Kent Johnson served as the General Manager for The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center since 2005. Prior to his move to The Woodlands, he was the General Manager of The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia – one of only 17 Five Star Five Diamond properties in the United States. His professional achievements include opening or managing hotels in Aruba, Grand Cayman, Key West, Seattle, San Diego, Maui, Lanai and Key Largo. Johnson opened both the Manele Bay Hotel and The Lodge at Koele on the Island of Lanai – two Five Star Five Diamond Resorts ranked the number one and number four resorts in the world by CondeNast Traveler.
Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii and has earned advanced certifications from Cornell University and The Culinary Institute of America. In addition, Johnson has national and local ties to The Chaine des Rotisseurs, Rotary International, Meeting Planners International, Certified Catering Executives of America, Certified Food & Beverage Professionals of America, and the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC).
Hubbell & Hudson was founded in 2008 to bring a world-class culinary destination to The Woodlands. Hubbell & Hudson Market & Bistro, located in the Waterway District of The Woodlands, is an award-winning gourmet retailer, restaurant and cooking school, and the concept’s flagship location. The Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen, opened in 2010, is a casual eatery on the intersection of Gosling Road and Research Forest.
Black Walnut Café is a contemporary American fast casual concept that has over 100 unique items freshly prepared and cooked to order. The concept was founded in 2002, just opened its fifth location in the Greater Houston area and is planning to expand to Dallas and Austin markets in 2013.
“The Hubbell & Hudson and Black Walnut Café brands are an important amenity to The Woodlands, which has always met high expectations to become a venue for all the pleasures that cooking and eating can bring,” Johnson said. “With many exciting changes planned for the future, we’ll raise the bar even higher to provide an unrivaled service experience.”
