Thomas Flynn
Introducing an additional personality to the Leading Characters collection is Thomas Flynn; a gentleman with passion and devotion towards the hospitality industry, encompassing his creative pursuits around the exuberance of restaurant culture.
Main view of Thomas Flynn’s website. Photography © Dearing & Flynn
Thomas Flynn gathers a wealth of experience across multiple industries, covering technology, hospitality, photography and publishing. Employed by prominent companies, Apple, Corbin & King, and venturing into partnership forming the photography studio, Dearing & Flynn, this followed the development of a forthcoming journal, The Artful Eater; collectively, each division recognises abilities in complementing each other. The amalgamation of industry exposure and expertise has equipped Thomas to undertake and perform an advisory position in creatively proposing business development plans and implementing operational management practices for restaurant businesses.
In 2010, Thomas’ bold shift from tech to hospitality was an impassioned decision evolved from building and maintaining strong working relationships with corporate clients for whom, in addition to professional services, Thomas held responsibilities providing hospitality and entertainment on both local and foreign territories, developing a perceptive connection and appreciation for the dynamism the hospitality industry operates and its supporting role in forming culture.
Thomas built esteemed recognition as Corbin & King’s Group Maître d’hôtel for eight years, developing and nurturing client relationships and leading the launch of reservations system, Seven Rooms, across Corbin & King’s seven properties, including the Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair. Expansion to Corbin & King’s portfolio presented an opportunity for progression with the appointment of Group Opening Reception Manager, holding responsibilities for restaurant openings in London and New York.
Observing shifting moods and connecting with diverse personalities involved in the operations of restaurant establishments, Thomas’s evocatively, cinematic perspective of the hospitality world is a shared vision with photographer Glenn Dearing, forming a partnership to create the photography studio, Dearing & Flynn in 2012. The ambition to capture and document the boundless shifts in hospitality culture, personalities and aesthetics directed the collection of some of London’s iconic restaurants, expanding photography projects to include international locations, and broader audiences involving the Lifestyle, Arts and Culture sectors.
Following the foundation of Dearing & Flynn, Thomas complements photography with the development of The Artful Eater, a bi-annual journal, leading conversations in art, film, design, culture and personalities of the restaurant world, through a cast of esteemed global creatives, set to launch during the spring of 2023.
Disruptions in 2020 generated a catalyst for change, advancing Thomas and his long-standing affiliation with Restaurateur Tom Conran, initiating a new partnership forming Conran & Flynn. Thomas passionately led Conran’s established London institution, The Cow Saloon Bar & Dining Rooms through the fluctuating tides of the pandemic, successfully conserving the business, and progressively elevating The Cow’s revenue into the new financial year.
Words by H. Grace