For more than a decade, Yancy Violi has built a career at the intersection of hospitality, operations, and transportation. Today, he is the owner and operator of 511 Auto Transport, a national vehicle‑logistics company known for reliability, disciplined systems, and a client‑first approach. Yancy oversees all dispatching, carrier coordination, and business development, running the company with the same precision and high‑performance mindset that shaped his earlier hospitality career.
Yancy’s professional foundation was forged behind the bar. Over ten years, he became known as a bartender, beverage consultant, cocktail creative, and content producer — work that earned him recognition as “NYC’s Celebrity Bartender” in 2019 by BOLD TV and the NotAFoodie Podcast. His reputation grew through one‑of‑a‑kind cocktail experiences, liquor‑brand partnerships, and the development of standout bar programs in New York City, the East End of Long Island, and Portland, Oregon.
Beyond consulting, Yancy played a hands‑on role in opening multiple venues, including several East End concepts, multiple Portland projects, and his own nightclub, Solstice, where he led operations, programming, and beverage direction. These builds cemented his reputation for creating environments that blended structure, creativity, and genuine hospitality.
In 2022, after completing a consulting project in Portland and emerging from the post‑COVID era, Yancy transitioned into hospitality recruiting. Within two years, he became a top executive recruiter at Gecko Hospitality, a Forbes‑ranked recruiting firm. The role sharpened his sales, communication, and relationship‑building skills — but ultimately reaffirmed his preference for in‑person operational work.
Today, Yancy channels everything he’s learned — hospitality, venue development, recruiting, leadership, and brand partnerships — into the transport company he leads. His career is defined by one through‑line: Build systems that work, lead with discipline, and put people first.
