Jason Strauss

Jason Strauss is a well-known and highly regarded hospitality industry veteran with well over 20 years of hands-on experience as an operator and developer of premium hospitality venues. A native New Yorker, Strauss, and his partners are the masterminds behind some of the most successful and innovative nightclub and restaurant brands of the past 20 years including Marquee, Tao, Lavo, Beauty & Essex, Cathédrale, Koma, and Avenue. 

Among Jason’s many endeavors, he prioritizes charity work by volunteering with Inspiring Children and Tao Group Hospitality Cares. He graduated from Boston University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Hospitality Management and currently resides in Las Vegas.

Jason Strauss’ Career

In 1997, entrepreneurs Strauss and Noah Tepperberg started a full-service marketing, special events, public relations, and consumer promotions company that grew a roster of Fortune 500 clients including Coca-Cola, LVMH, and Playstation. After finding early success in the marketing and events industry, the young partners sold their marketing company to focus on their hospitality business. The duo opened Marquee nightclub in New York City in 2003, which rapidly became the epicenter of the worldwide nightlife scene. Along with TAO co-founders Marc Packer and Rich Wolf, the foursome opened TAO at the Venetian Las Vegas shortly followed by Lavo Las Vegas. Coming off the launch of these two successful venues - Strauss, Tepperberg, Packer, and Wolf officially formed Tao Group in 2009. Tao Group expanded its reach over the years in Vegas and New York and opened additional venues in Chicago, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Singapore including indelible nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels. With the record success of Tao Group, Strauss and Tepperberg were honored by Harvard Business School in March 2009 with a published case study about the dynamic duo’s myriad of businesses entitled “Marquee – The Business of Nightlife.” 

In February 2017, Strauss and his partners announced a first-of-its-kind deal to sell a majority stake in Tao Group to The Madison Square Garden Company. Strauss and Tepperberg retained a substantial stake in the organization and stayed on to operate the company day-to-day. In 2021, shortly after being named Co-CEOs of Tao Group Hospitality, the two orchestrated the acquisition of the Hakkasan Group adding brands like Omnia, Yauatcha, Ling Ling, Wet Republic, Herringbone, and others to their portfolio creating a global hospitality powerhouse. The newly combined company now operates over 80 branded restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, and daylife locations in over 20 markets across four continents and features a collection of widely recognized hospitality brands. In April of 2023, after a successful 6-year partnership with MSGE, Tepperberg and Strauss once again sold a majority stake in Tao Group to Mohari Hospitality, a global investment firm focusing on luxury hospitality while remaining as Co-CEOs and part owners.

Tao Group Hospitality

Tao Group Hospitality’s portfolio includes the following brands: TAO, Hakkasan, Omnia, Marquee, LAVO, Beauty & Essex, Wet Republic, Yuatcha, Ling Ling, Cathédrale, The Fleur Room, Little Sister Lounge, The Highlight Room, Avenue, Silver Lining, Loosie’s Nightclub, Sake No Hana, Jewel Nightclub, Magic Hour, Koma, Feroce, Suite Sixteen at Madison Square Garden, Legasea Bar & Grill, The Ready, The Rickey, Fishbowl, Herringbone, PHD, Electric Room, Luchini Italian, Liquid, Casa Calavera, and more.