Squeezing through the crowd during a busy Thursday lunch shift at Todd English P.U.B., I am eager to meet one of the men behind this apparently recession-proof business: Kelley Jones, managing partner of the P.U.B. and CEO and founder of Société Hospitality, a Las Vegas-based hospitality and lodging group.

He greets me with a friendly smile, a handshake and an invitation to sit down at his “office,” the last table in the back of the CityCenter eatery, surrounded by diners. “When I’m here, this is where I sit,” Jones says. “From this array I can see everything that goes on in the restaurant.”

The vantage point is crucial to a management philosophy built around connecting with guests, sensing their needs and adjusting quickly.

“People are more forgiving of a friend than they are a stranger, so we become friends with the table,” he says. “When I was a chef, I never would have admitted this, but I can overlook an overcooked steak, but I can’t forgive rude or inattentive service.”

The biggest reason for Jones’ success, though, may be his young heart and hippie soul. Although he turns 46 this year, he feels like he’s 25. The New Jersey native plays in a flag football league every Sunday, has earned black belts in two different martial arts, and has two drum sets in his home so that he can jam with visitors.

“At the end of the day, I want to have fun,” Jones says.

Fun is one reason the P.U.B. stands out at CityCenter, where many establishments are on the serious side. Some of Jones’ ideas include nickel beer night, beer pong tables with a gumball machine that dispenses pingpong balls, and the seven-second beer chugging contest. “I’ve opened over 70 properties, and every time you learn something you didn’t know before, including this one,” says Jones, who, before Société, was president of Light Group, vice president of restaurant operations for Starr Restaurant Organization and vice president of restaurant operations for the Kimpton Hotels.

When Todd English brought Jones in just three months before P.U.B.’s opening, he knew he was getting a manager who understood how to create a unique experience. “He is one of the best operators I know, and believe me, I have seen my share in all my years,” English says. “His enthusiasm and energy are contagious. He is great with his peeps and with the customers. All in all, I don’t know many better at this biz better than K.J. I love working with him.”

The team hopes to continue its winning ways, as Jones and English are developing Todd English Burger, a gourmet burger bar in Manhattan. This is but one item on a crowded agenda for Jones: He’s working on eight other projects, too, including a seasonal fine-dining restaurant called Eden with a self-contained garden in Miami. He also has fresh plans for Las Vegas: A create-your-own sushi bar is in the works at Tivoli Village in Summerlin, and Jones was hired to consult on New York-New York creator Mark Advent’s plan to expand the Orange County Choppers Roadhouse on the Strip.

In each of his projects, Jones is looking for new approaches to the old art of dining. “I’ve worked at some great restaurants and with the industry’s leading individuals,” he says. “But now it’s about, How do we have fun? If it ain’t broke, break it.”