Sean Feeney
Lilia and Misi | Brooklyn
February 2019
Sean Feeney walked a winding road before arriving at a partnership with Chef Missy Robbins and opening Brooklyn pasta temples Lilia and Misi. After a childhood spent on the Jersey Shore, Feeney attended the University of Virginia, studying biology and chemistry. He then moved to Manhattan and began a career on Wall Street. In 2008, he and his wife moved to a building on Grove Street in the West Village—the same building where Robbins, then the chef of A Voce, resided. The couple and Robbins didn’t get to know each other until the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when the Feeney’s invited Robbins to their apartment for dinner.
Seeing her talent up close, Feeney was inspired and decided to go all in to support her. While continuing to work in finance, Feeney joined Robbins and her team to build Lilia, a New York Times three-star, James Beard Award-winning restaurant. He learned fast, building a network of mentors and peers, establishing systems, and leveraging technology to help the business achieve its goals. With the opening of their second restaurant, Misi, Feeney has moved into restaurant operations full-time. In 2019, he won a StarChefs Rising Stars Restaurateur Award and the pair signed on as partners with barbecue expert Billy Durney to open Red Hook Tavern in South Brooklyn. Feeney is a managing partner of Hometown BBQ (Red Hook & Industry City) and Red Hook Tavern. He sits on the board of directors of the Food Education Fund, a non-profit organization that supports the Food & Finance High School in Manhattan.
