Clary named GM at Tower Club

Last edited 12:05 p.m., April 3, 2013

Veteran chef and restaurateur James Clary today was named general manager of The Tower Club atop Hammons Tower.

Clary and Phill Burgess, vice president of marketing for John Q. Hammons Industries, which operates The Tower Club, said the move coincides with the company’s plans to spend up to $500,000 in renovations at the venue during the next two years, among other changes.

“It is time to reinvent it. I think they’ve done a good job all along, but we want to give the overall club a facelift,” Clary said of the 26-year-old private club with 400 members that also provides banquet services to the public.

Clary said he will be rewriting the menu to include favorites from his former fine-dining restaurant Clary’s and training the staff to provide a heightened level of service.

“We want to institute the service systems that Clary’s was known for, which is a very high attention to detail, strong focus on etiquette and warm, personal, friendly customer service,” said Clary, who also spent time running Springfield restaurants Fish and Gallery Bistro during his career.

Burgess said though Clary has served as a consultant for the club in the past, discussions began in earnest about two weeks ago after Clary left his post as culinary director for Price Cutter.

“To be able to bring Clary’s back, and his personality, and his passion, to the tower is phenomenal,” said Burgess, who is also vice president of sales and revenue management for JQH Hotels and Resorts.

Clary succeeds Shelby Williams, who worked in the role for four months following Jeff Anderson, a 22-year veteran of the position. Burgess said Williams would remain with the company, but his position has yet to be determined.