About Us
OMG stands for O’Donoghue + Mikles = Great Times. Coined by a then 8 year old O’Donoghue in 2015, the name stuck. Two families with complementary backgrounds but a singular focus: To create unique dining experiences that attract and retain loyal fans-be they guests or employees.
Our polished casual concepts combine quality food and beverage, friendly atmosphere and live music to create impactful members of the community.
There are currently six unique locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania, ranging in size from 100 seats to over 370. Each location has a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, multiple bars and a music stage. Each location has earned multiple awards, including Best New Restaurant. Since 2015, OMG Holdings restaurants have earned over 30 awards.
The Founders
The Founders
Affectionately known by the team as “the boys”, Jim O’Donoghue and Lee Mikles are long-time neighbors and friends who have a shared vision of creating great destinations that can be that “Third Place” between work and home. Coming from two different backgrounds, the two quickly found that their approach to business was nearly identical. Not taking the typical “grew up in the restaurant” career path, the two bring strong perspectives on how to run a successful business.
“Jim and Lee have earned the respect of Delaware’s restaurant community by focusing on their commitment to Excellence! They have quickly become the anchor restaurant on the east end of Main Street. Restaurant owners like Jim and Lee who focus attention to details and operate with a hands on approach will have many successful future endeavors!”
Jim O'Donoghue spent fourteen years working in the restaurant business before moving his career to the corporate world. Experience in the restaurant industry includes running corporate, large volume, and smaller restaurants focused on fine dining and experience. Operational experience includes managing front- and back-of-the-house operations. As part of the Waterfront restaurant in Dewey Beach, Delaware, Jim designed and implemented one of the first touchscreen POS systems for the high volume restaurant/bar that also tied together inventory management, specials implementation, and employee incentives. The Waterfront restaurant won many awards at the time including Best Beach BBQ, Best Bar Atmosphere, Best Specials, and Best Frozen Brink (The Dewey Devil). The system has been implemented across numerous establishments.
Jim made a career change to financial services and has focused his efforts on leadership, marketing, and process development. Jim has been recognized with numerous industry awards, with two of these being for innovative product launches in a very competitive industry.
Jim is an active community leader working with many local charities, notably helping to launch Best Buddies Delaware as acting Chairman of the Advisory Board.
Lee Mikles is a successful entrepreneur, creating and growing two regional companies, Insight Interactive Group and The Archer Group. Through a focus on regional branding and repeatable processes, these companies have long track records of profitable success, creating over 100 regional jobs and winning many awards. His most recent start-up, the Archer Group, has twice been recognized as one of the state’s top workplaces by the News Journal and earned the Delaware State Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award.
During the early days of the rise of social media platforms, Lee co-authored “Engage Your Brand: How Smart Companies are Using Social Marketing to Drive Their Businesses Forward”, a social media marketing book for business that earned a Silver “IPPY” Award for Best Business Book in 2011.
Lee is also a strong community builder leading the creation of Wilmington’s Lower Market Design District (AKA LOMA), designed to build a creative community and attract members of the “creative class” to work, live, and play in the area.
Leadership Team
Leadership Team
Jesse Payne
Jesse Payne, an accomplished leader in the hospitality industry, is overseeing the customer facing aspects of the business as our Regional Director. Jesse brings with him over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, most recently as a Director of Operations with TGI Fridays overseeing five area franchise locations. In his time with Fridays, Jesse also acted as a special liaison between corporate and franchise operations and helped develop their national management training program. With a proven track record of running multiple stores, Jesse is responsible for helping set and achieve both sales and profit expectations across the company. Most importantly, Jesse is responsible for furthering the Grain experience that has made us that “third place” between work and home in our communities.
Brandon Fredericks
Brandon Fredericks, Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen's seasoned Corporate Chef, who comes to us with a proven track record of success as the former Executive Chef at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant. During his time there, Brandon efficiently managed a large team, ensuring both culinary excellence and financial profitability in a high paced environment. As a self-taught chef, Brandon brings a culinary insight that strives to find the perfect balance of flavors and visual appeal in every item on our menu. His straightforward approach to leadership and culinary expertise make him a valuable addition to our team, promising a dedication to quality and operational efficiency in every dish. Brandon excels at ensuring that all aspects of kitchen operations run seamlessly and leveraging technology to ensure that he is getting the most out of every aspect of our kitchens.
Les Antalffy
Les Antalffy, Grain’s Controller, oversees the financial management of the company. Les is a two time Blue Hen, earning his accounting degree and his MBA from UD as part of the school's inaugural Executive MBA class. With a background in budgeting and cost controls, Les will play a crucial role in ensuring the financial health and stability of the organization. Well known in the community, Les was previously controller of both regional and national companies, including Arbill Industries and the National Dairy Products Corporation. Despite having keen financial acumen, his loyalties exist with the Vegas Raiders football team, which always raises an eyebrow around town.