Jim Batsakes, director of Campus Dining and Hospitality at Cleary, is another alumnus who chose to return to Cleary as a member of its management team.
“I had been staying in touch with the alumni association and that’s how I learned about the open position,” he reports. Batsakes has worked in the hospitality and food service industry for his entire career, which spans some 25 years. “Culinary arts has been my passion for as long as I can remember.”
His first educational stop was Michigan State University where he earned a BA in advertising management. While a student, he became actively involved in the university’s Entrepreneur’s Club and became entrenched in learning promotional and retailing strategies, and solving managerial problems in new and creative ways.
He continued his education and is proud to announce he earned two master’s degrees: an MBA in management and analytical efficiency from Cleary and an MS in management, strategy and leadership from Michigan State University.
“I knew these degrees would help me tremendously in my career to address business problems, and make effective decisions using the measurable techniques and analytical skills I learned,” he reports.
Batsakes also has two executive education certificates from Cornell University: one is in hospitality, real estate investments and asset management; and the second one is in food service systems administration and management.
From a very young age, he knew restaurant and hospitality industry was his calling. “I worked in different positions in my family’s restaurants and my mother’s catering business, and I knew I wanted my own business someday,” he says. And he set out to achieve his goal.
In 1998, he became the owner, proprietor and general manager of Cottage Inn Café Restaurant and Bar in Ypsilanti. This was just the beginning. He went on to work as Director of Operations- Chief Operations Manager of multi-unit restaurants in the Dayton, Ohio area, where he also was a managing partner for 10 years.
Next, he accepted a position as Director of Restaurant Operations and General Manager of Weber’s Restaurant, Boutique Hotel and banquet and conference center in Ann Arbor, leading multiple revenue centers consisting of a 400-seat main dining room, a 100-seat Habitat Lounge featuring daily entertainment, and a 200-room boutique hotel, banquet and conference center.
His career path then took him to Anna’s House in Michigan where he served as Regional Operations Manager for three years, leading restaurant openings, developing operational plans for regional groups and establishing SMART goals for the restaurant group to follow.
When he heard about the position at his alma mater, Cleary, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. In early 2023, he was hired as Director of Campus Dining and Hospitality.
At any major event, you will find Batsakes working right alongside his team, preparing, cooking and serving food as well as joining the cleanup crew.
Batsakes says Cleary is where he belongs. “I enjoy the collaboration of academics and administration, and being included as part of the decision making team,” he says. “Feeling such a strong connection to the school motivates me every day to live up to the high standards of Cleary.”
As a student, he saw many educational opportunities, he enjoyed the flexibility of classes, and he especially liked the “talented faculty” who prepare students for the workforce. “You can apply for positions right away because you are ready for the business arena,” he finds. “I was able to apply the knowledge I acquired in the MBA program at Cleary in practical ways almost immediately.”
He found the finance classes especially beneficial for his work. “The professors helped me understand how to structure capital stack to build out restaurant businesses,” he reports. “Many faculty members are still working in their field and can share actual challenges they faced and ones I will encounter in my field.
“Cleary had what I needed to advance my career, and I was able to take classes online while I was working in Ohio. This option was not available at many schools 15 years ago,” he points out.
When he’s not in the Cleary kitchen, Batsakes is volunteering as a Spartan sponsor mentor for Michigan State University, working with students enrolled in the School of Hospitality Business.
He also is a collection volunteer at a local food bank, repurposing unused food from restaurants and retail establishments. Batsakes recently accepted the position of treasurer for the Cleary Alumni Association.
And what’s next? He is working on completing his culinary arts degree from Schoolcraft College.
