Jason Akemann

As a co-founder, Jason’s main areas of responsibility include new site acquisition, site design, and construction management.

Jason’s relentless passion, eye for detail, and vast industry experience make him an authority on matters related to Bottleneck’s overall design and aesthetic. As a founding partner, his leadership and direction since 2001 have been pivotal to Bottleneck Management’s ongoing success.

“Purveyor of Good Times”

Jason was born into the hospitality industry. His family owned a restaurant and much of Jason’s youth was spent in and around the business. It was this early exposure that developed into a natural zeal for the industry. Starting as a dishwasher at the age of 14, Jason humbly began his journey into the restaurant world. Later, he worked alongside IWU classmate and friend, Nathan Hilding as a server and bartender at the legendary John Barleycorn in Lincoln Park (a well-known Chicago neighborhood). It was there Jason and Nate began conceptualizing their business partnership. Jason’s dream of becoming an entrepreneur came to fruition when he and Nate opened Trace in the Spring of 2001. He could not be more proud of where Bottleneck Management is today and is looking forward to continuing to grow and develop the company for years to come.