Partners

Aaron Mervis

Partner of Wildfire and Big Bowl

Aaron Mervis is a Partner of Wildfire and Big Bowl.

It is no surprise that Aaron Mervis ended up in the restaurant industry; his family is obsessed with food. Mervis grew up going to Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. When he was a teenager, he started talking about what kind of restaurant he would open one day, and thought of Merv’s Bar & Grill. This idea gave him focus and a goal.

After high school, Mervis decided on Washington University in St. Louis and graduated with a degree in Marketing, Spanish, and English Literature. Still, he often thought about the restaurant industry but planned to enter it through marketing. First though, traveling to Europe and experiencing the cultures and cuisines of many different countries were a priority. He spent the next six months traveling and eating his way through Western Europe and then landed in Madrid to teach English for the rest of the year. This experience of meeting new people and sharing stories and adventures helped solidify his dream of running a restaurant.

In 1999 he returned home and met Howard Katz and the Wildfire division. He started his career as a host in Lincolnshire and knew right away that the restaurant business was a perfect fit. The Lincolnshire location was packed, the food was outstanding, and there were numerous challenges for him to help solve. In 2000, he was promoted to the management training program. It was then that Mervis found his first mentor, Ross Buter, who taught him many different aspects of the restaurant industry. Buter encouraged his ideas and challenged him to pursue them with meticulous attention to detail. His first memorable project was to revamp the martini list and make exciting new cocktails, like the martini flight and his dad’s Bloody Mary recipe (both still signatures on the menu today).

Katz and Buter pushed Mervis hard to learn and grow within the company. In 2002 they promoted him to a #2 manager and then encouraged him to experience the opening of the next Wildfire in Glenview in 2004. The challenges of a new restaurant proved pivotal to his success as a General Manager later. In 2006 he returned to Wildfire in Lincolnshire as the General Manager. Just one year later, Katz gave him the opportunity to open their newest location in McLean, VA. The experience of developing a restaurant outside of Chicago while dealing with new market difficulties and a struggling economy motivated him. Mervis now supervises Wildfire in Tysons Galleria.

His current goals are to continue developing his managers’ careers and to expand the company’s name in the DC area. Lettuce has played an important role in his personal life as well. At a rehearsal dinner in October 2008 at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! he met his wife Lindsey. They live outside of Washington, DC with their daughters Gracie and Kate. They both love sports, theater, music and, of course – food.

Allison Gallese

Associate Partner and Director of Sales & Marketing

Allison Gallese is an Associate Partner at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants who oversees marketing, private events, and catering sales for Osteria Via Stato, M Burger, Tallboy Taco, Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Lettuce at Navy Pier, as well as  Miru and Tre Dita, opening in the St. Regis Chicago in 2023.

Allison’s career in hospitality began as a dishwasher at a small diner in her hometown of Bennington, Vermont. She continued in front-of-house roles through high school and while attending Syracuse University, before joining the opening management team at a steakhouse and raw bar in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

Just two days after moving to Chicago in August 2006 to pursue a master’s degree in hospitality, Allison began working at Osteria Via Stato. The following year, she took over Osteria’s events and catering program and went on to lead the sales teams at several other concepts including TRU, Nacional 27, Intro, and Frankie’s Scaloppine. 

In 2016, she expanded her responsibilities to lead the marketing initiatives for twelve Lettuce brands including Everest, Eiffel Tower, M Burger, and Naoki. With over 25 years of experience in the restaurant business, Allison continues to channel her approach to hospitality, “The answer is yes. The question is how,” into everything she does.

Allison lives in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago with her husband Robert. She loves horseback riding, being outdoors, and exploring the world as much as possible. 

Andrew Ashmore

Associate Partner and Beatrix Corporate Chef

Andrew was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI and at age 17,  he got his first job at a mom & pop Italian restaurant washing dishes. His love for the industry grew from there as he continued to work in various positions including a Prep Cook tossing pizza dough to a Line Cook preparing the dishes. To increase his skill set and pursue his newfound passion, Andrew attended culinary school in Grand Rapids, graduating in 2007 with an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts and Culinary Management. To begin his career in the culinary world, Andrew moved to  Las Vegas to be the Executive Chef at Michael Mina Group. Two years later, he joined Fox Restaurant Concepts as the Brand Chef where he would go on to oversee the opening of a handful of restaurants in Arizona over the next six years. 

In 2015, Andrew returned to the Midwest to raise his son closer to family. The ever-evolving restaurant scene brought him to Chicago, where he became the Director of Culinary Operations at Roti Modern Mediterranean. He then went on to join White Lodging as the Corporate Research and Development Chef, where he was responsible for the culinary innovation of new and existing concepts nationwide.

Seeking an opportunity to return to the kitchen and the service side of the industry, Andrew joined Lettuce Entertain You in 2019, was the Beatrix Corporate Chef and is most recently an Associate Partner overseeing Antico Posto, all five Beatrix locations and L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge. His favorite part of the job is collaborating with the Chef Partners to create new dishes and training the teams on execution.

In his free time, Andrew loves to spend time with his wife and son by riding bikes, running out for donuts, and picking vegetables in the neighborhood garden. Andrew also enjoys going out to eat, trying new restaurants, and of course, cooking at home for his family.

Bob Broskey

Associate Partner and RPM Executive Chef Partner

Bob Broskey is the RPM Executive Chef Partner He is self-trained and the first person in his family to work in the hospitality industry. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Robert’s interest in cooking began at a young age. He recalls sitting on the kitchen counter as a boy watching his father prepare meals; additionally, his parents and grandparents were all excellent cooks. 

After spending a number of years cooking in his hometown, Bob took the next step in his culinary career and relocated to Chicago to take a position at the Michelin two-star restaurant Ria, in what is now the Waldorf Astoria. After honing his skills at Ria, Broskey went on to the highly-rated L2O, a Chicago Michelin award-winning restaurant and part of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (Chicago’s largest and most established restaurant group) which would give him the opportunity he desired: to work in a restaurant that showcased seafood. Nearly two years later, he accepted an offer to be the sous chef of Henri, the esteemed Michigan Avenue French restaurant from Gage Hospitality Group, which was eventually turned into an Italian restaurant, Acanto. 

In 2012, Broskey headed back to the East Coast at the request of chef Dave Racicot who called on him to help open Notion, a fine-dining concept in Pittsburgh, which received great reviews. A year later, Broskey returned to Chicago after accepting an offer to become chef de cuisine at L2O under chef Mathew Kirkley. 

Two years later, L20 closed and reopened as Intro, a concept centered around hosting guest chefs every three months. Broskey became Intro’s executive chef – an exceptional honor and challenge as he would be tasked with overseeing a rotating series of chefs as well as implementing a new menu, wine list and redesigned interior décor. During his time at Intro, Broskey received Zagat’s prestigious “30 Under 30” award given to young Chicago culinary professionals. 

After a worthwhile stint at Intro, the founder of Gage Hospitality Group tapped Broskey as Executive Chef of seafood-forward concept, Beacon Tavern. From 2016 to 2019, he oversaw the kitchen, bringing with him an incomparable affinity for seafood. During Broskey’s tenure there, Beacon Tavern was recognized by the Chicago Tribune, Concierge Preferred and more in the press. Broskey was also was invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. 

In 2019, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises brought Broskey back on, this time to open one of the city’s most exciting restaurants on the Chicago Riverwalk – RPM Seafood. Focusing on the truest expression of the world’s best fish and seafood, Broskey brings his exceptional talent to the RPM brand of restaurants. 

 

Cannon Porter

Partner of Aba and The Dalcy

Cannon Porter is a Partner of Aba and The Dalcy at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. Her passion for the hospitality industry began in 2004 when she started working at Texas Roadhouse in East Lansing, MI. Upon graduating from Michigan State University, Cannon was promoted to Service and Kitchen Manager. After spending nine years at Texas Roadhouse, Cannon came to Chicago to join the opening team of Beatrix River North as a manager in 2013, where she quickly was promoted to General Manager. In 2015, Cannon led the management team to open Ēma, as the General Manager.

In 2017, Cannon proudly went on to open and oversee Beatrix’s third location in Chicago’s Fulton Market District, where she focused on all aspects of the restaurant including working with the chef and management team, while maintaining a high standard for food and service.

Cannon opened  Aba, a restaurant and rooftop patio and The Dalcy, a private event hall, both located in Fulton Market, Aba in Austin, TX and Aba at Bal Harbour Shops in Miami, FL.

Cannon has a true passion for food and cocktails. When she’s not in the restaurants, Cannon enjoys biking, dining out, attending sporting events and concerts.

CJ Jacobson

Chef/Partner of Aba and Ema

Orange County-born, Chef CJ Jacobson is best known for his ‘rustic-refined’ way of cooking. His craft revolves around hyper-seasonal, local California ingredients, where foraging plays the main part in the flavor profiles that he creates in his kitchen.

Jacobson has always been one for a good competition. Even before starring on two seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef and, most recently, winning Top Chef Duels in 2014, he attended Pepperdine University in Malibu on a volleyball scholarship and made the U.S. National Volleyball Team.

His professional volleyball career took him to Belgium, Israel, and the Netherlands, where he discovered food could be exciting and inspiring. Jacobson then returned to L.A. where he ultimately decided that restaurants would be his next career path. He enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu-affiliated College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, graduating in 2004 and his first professional job was cooking at Axe, a highly regarded restaurant with an ingredient-driven California menu.

He went on to work throughout California at Campanile under Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton and as a private chef for VIPs such as Arianna Huffington and Guess clothing’s Marciano family.

After his first appearance on Top Chef in 2007, Jacobson accepted a position as executive chef at The Yard, a gastropub in Santa Monica, CA. The following year, Jacobson participated in the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour and in 2012, he staged at the world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma, working closely with acclaimed Chef René Redzepi. It was there he honed his skills and appreciation for every single ingredient—foraging for it, exploring it, and researching it. In July 2013, he became the executive chef at Girasol restaurant in Studio City, CA, and a year later was brought in as the first chef-in-residence at Intro in Chicago, IL which garnered three stars from the Chicago Tribune.

Jacobson is now the Chef Partner at Aba and Ēma, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, restaurant concepts focused on light, Mediterranean-style cooking. Aba recently opened its third location in Miami, FL with other locations in Austin, TX and Chicago, IL.

Corey Milner

Partner of Summer House and Stella Barra

Corey has always had a passion for the restaurant industry. Starting as a dishwasher in high school at Mrs. Peters Chicken in Kansas City, he worked his way through the restaurant with several positions and received his first management job at J. Gilbert's Wood Fired Steaks. He then managed at Houston’s and J. Alexander’s. Working for J. Alexander’s Corey traveled to San Antonio, Houston, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, and finally Chicago.

Finding himself eating at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants locations on his days off, it was only natural that his next step was to join the Lettuce team. After an inspiring meeting with Executive Partner/President Chris Meers, Corey began his career with Lettuce in 2012 as the General Manager at Mon Ami Gabi.

After 8 months at Mon Ami Gabi, Corey quickly proved himself as an integral part of the team and moved to Summer House Santa Monica and Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar in Chicago to open the restaurants as General Manager. “It was such an awesome learning experience,” said Corey. “From setting up contracts to choosing every detail like plates and napkins, it really taught me what it took to open a restaurant.”

Corey opened Summer House and Stella Barra in Chicago in 2013, followed by a second location in North Bethesda in 2015. Working at the restaurants and spending time with Chris Meers has given Corey the skills to become an entrepreneur.

Operating two of Lettuce’s fastest-growing and busiest brands, Corey is passionate about improving hospitality, staying up on food trends, building loyalty with his guests and most importantly, developing his team. “Building a restaurant from the ground up, we were able to put together a fantastic team. It’s been rewarding to cultivate the talent we’ve been given here at our restaurants, and see future leaders move up in the company,” said Corey.

Corey became an Associate Partner in September 2017 after five years with Lettuce. “I am proud of the foundation that we have built over the last few years and I look forward to continuing to grow the Summer House and Stella Barra brands and developing the next generation.”

Most recently, Corey and team opened a California wine country-inspired restaurant in Fulton Market District, The Oakville Grill & Cellar.

If he is not at one of the restaurants, you will typically find him on the sidelines of one of his three children’s soccer games with his wife, Shauna.

Dana LaPointe

Associate Partner, Training and Development

Dana (Rosenblatt) LaPointe is an Associate Partner and oversees training and development for the “San” brand of restaurants including Ramen-san, Sushi-san, The Omakase Room at Sushi-san, Bub City, Three Dots and a Dash, il Porcellino and Hub 51 to name a few.

Born and raised in Highland Park, IL, LaPointe always had a natural affinity for working in restaurants and hospitality. She attended Michigan State University where she studied hospitality. Looking to bridge the gap between her love of learning and a desire to explore the hospitality industry, LaPointe started as a Lettuce Entertain You corporate trainer upon graduation.

Since beginning with Lettuce in 2007, LaPointe has overseen training for more than 20 restaurants – everything from fast casual to Michelin starred. Her varied experiences have solidified her belief that hospitality knows no bounds, and that every detail matters.

During her free time, LaPointe enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her family.

Darryl Smith

Partner of Sushi-san

Darryl is a Partner with Sushi-san, a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants restaurant in Chicago’s River North. He started his career in hospitality while he was in high school, starting as a dishwasher and then becoming a supervisor at Pizzeria Venti in Barrington, IL.

While attending Western Illinois University, Darryl worked for Levy Restaurants at Arlington Park International Racecourse and the United Center as a shift supervisor for the food and beverage concessions. He graduated from college with a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management and was referred to Shaw’s Crab House, which is where started his career with Lettuce.

In 2009, Darryl started his first role at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago as a manager and immediately connected with the senior staff and talented management team including partners Sara Rowe and Bill Nevruz. During his time at Shaw’s, Darryl grew to run the Oyster Bar and also take over the wine program.

Darryl had the opportunity to join the team at RPM Italian in Chicago in 2012 shortly after the modern Italian restaurant opened. In addition to running service and managing the beverage program, Darryl also collaborated with the chef team to control food cost at the restaurant. Working with the RPM Italian team opened his eyes to a whole new world of ingredients, preparations and flavors.

In 2014, the RPM Restaurants brand expanded with the opening of RPM Steak in Chicago. As part of the opening team, Darryl spearheaded educating and training the staff about the menu items in addition to managing food costs alongside the chef team. During his time at RPM Steak, Darryl had the opportunity to work alongside Wine Director Richard Hanauer who taught him about the world of fine wine and service. In 2016, Darryl earned his certification as a CMS Certified Sommelier.

Most recently, Darryl opened Sushi-san in 2017 as the General Manager. Working with an entirely new cuisine afforded him another excellent opportunity to learn from Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan and his partners. Today, Sushi-san has been recognized as one of the Best Sushi Restaurants in Chicago by The Infatuation.

Darryl along with his partners opened a second location of Sushi-san at Catalog in Willis Tower in August 2021. In February 2022, Darryl and his team opened The Omakase Room at Sushi-san, a unique and upscale omakase experience led by Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan.

Growing up in Georgia, WI and the suburbs of Chicago, Darryl and his wife Rosemary met while working at Shaw’s Crab House and are the proud parents of two daughters, Cecelia and Louisa. When he isn’t working in the restaurants, Darryl enjoys trying new restaurants, golfing, fishing, biking through the city and running along the Chicago lakefront.

David DiGregorio

Chef Partner at Osteria Via Stato

Raised in Rhode Island, Chef David DiGregorio attributes his appreciation of food to his Italian family’s tradition of cooking and eating together, later knowing as a child that he wanted to be a chef. At fourteen years old, he started his career working at various restaurants until entering the Culinary Arts Program at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island in 1978.

Throughout a two–year American Culinary Federation apprenticeship at the Mobil four-star Swiss Chalet Restaurant, Chef DiGregorio gained a strong background in cooking classic continental cuisine. In 1982, he moved his career path to Chicago and joined the reopening staff at the 95th Restaurant as a saucier. After working several positions in the kitchen, DiGregorio took over as the 95th’s executive chef in March 1986. Under his leadership, the restaurant was named one of the top ten restaurants of the year by critic James Ward and earned many national industry awards.

During his time with the 95th restaurant, Chef DiGregorio gained the attention of Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. In 1992, he became a part of the Lettuce Entertain You family. As Executive Chef Partner of local River North Maggiano’s, he brought to Chicago the Italian tradition of family-style dining and a greater appreciation of classic, American-Italian cuisine making the restaurant a legendary Chicago favorite.

In 2004, after taking a trip and dining throughout Italy with LEYE founder and Chairman Rich Melman, the team opened Osteria Via Stato in Chicago’s River North. Focusing on Italian dining that he experienced during his journey, the restaurant follows the Italian tradition of seasonal ingredients and local flavors. Osteria Via Stato’s simple and honest approach has made it a favorite mainstay for today’s epicureans—from neighborhood locals to award-winning chefs and winemakers throughout the world. In 2007, Chef DiGregorio and his team launched Pizzeria Via Stato, a Roman-style pizzeria featuring ingredient-driven tavern pizzas, salads, and small plates.

Chef DiGregorio continues to keep creativity and quality his top priorities for developing his ever-evolving, seasonally-driven menus. He seeks out and develops relationships with farmers, family-owned establishments and artisanal purveyors throughout the Midwest, assuring him the freshest, most innovative ingredients available.

Osteria Via Stato has received numerous awards and accolades including recognition in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine; as well as being named Best Italian Restaurant in Time Out Chicago. The restaurant is also the recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Chef DiGregorio keeps an active schedule supporting charities and organizations close to his heart, including Chicago’s Green City Market, Meals-on-Wheels and United Cerebral Palsy Seguin of Greater Chicago.

Chef DiGregorio and his wife, Tiyang, have been married for 30 years and have three sons.

Ed Warm

Partner of Joe's Live, Bub City and Windy City Smokeout

Eric Rose

Partner of Hub 51, Bub City, Three Dots and a Dash and Joe’s Live

Eric Rose is a Partner of Hub 51, Bub City, Three Dots and a Dash and Joe’s Live.

For ten years, Eric has been an integral part of the Melman division influencing the growth of Hub 51, Bub City, Three Dots and a Dash, The Windy City Smokeout and the most recent location of Bub City and Joe’s Live in Rosemont. Eric developed a fondness for dining out at a young age, seeking new experiences at great restaurants all over the world. Though he grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, Eric developed a great relationship with his grandparents on the West Coast. His grandfather, a great businessman himself, also had a passion for food and fine dining – a trait that inspired Eric as a young man. After attending Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, Eric returned to Chicago to focus on a career in the hospitality industry.

After working with Bravo! Cucina Italiana and J Alexander’s, Eric joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in 2008. Originally hired to work at the first Lettuce restaurant, RJ Grunts, he was seen as an integral part of the team and Partners RJ and Jerrod Melman asked him to help open Hub 51.

A strong leader, Eric built a unique culture among his team which has played a significant role in his success within the company. “The best part about my role as manager, and now partner, is I can help my staff find their calling. Whether it is here, in the restaurant industry or elsewhere, I am excited to help our team grow,” states Eric.

A resident of Northbrook, Eric enjoys playing basketball, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Ashley, and their two daughters, Maya and Taylor.

Francis Brennan

Chef Partner

In 1998, Francis Brennan walked into a two-star Michelin restaurant in Dublin, Ireland and asked if he could work for free to learn – and the chef said yes. Brennan had worked in kitchens while attending University of California at Santa Barbara, but with no other experience in the field, this top-tier restaurant gave him a full-time position just one month later. At this point, Brennan still did not consider pursuing a career as a chef until one night in the middle of service. He remembers having an epiphany that as a chef, he could take an ingredient and turn it into a moment of pure happiness for a guest. Years later, that remains Brennan’s favorite part of being a chef and he is influenced and motivated by the look that comes over guests when they taste something they love.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Chef Brennan enjoyed cooking for his family and friends from an early age. Never attending formal culinary school, Brennan developed his style while living and working in Europe and all over the United States. Now Brennan is Partner and Chef for Summer House Santa Monica and Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar.

Before landing at Lettuce Entertain You, Brennan worked at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin, Ireland, the famed Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and Aquavit in New York City, before honing his love and skill for baking at Payard Patisserie in New York City, where he became the head bread baker. After his time in New York, Brennan moved home to San Francisco to become Chef de Cuisine at Fifth Floor. Wanting to move back to Chicago, he took a job with the Park Hyatt on Michigan Avenue as the Chef de Cuisine at NoMI. He moved on to join the Lettuce Entertain You family in 2008 on the opening team of L2O, where he would create their famed bread program and where he met Chef/Partner Jeff Mahin who was also from Northern California.

The two chefs started collaborating on side projects from the beginning, searching for a way to bring California-inspired cuisine to Chicago and serve the type of food that they enjoyed back home. In the meantime, Brennan started working at Petterino’s downtown where he noticed a small, underused space in the building, which he saw as an opportunity to team up with Mahin to create Do-Rite Donuts, a chef-driven doughnut concept that prepares small batches using seasonal ingredients. Brennan was then enlisted by Executive Partner and President of the Mon Ami Gabi Division, Chris Meers, to help out at Mon Ami Gabi and Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!, extending both restaurants’ bread programs, which put him in the right place to finally create his California-style concept with Mahin–Summer House Santa Monica on Halsted. In January 2015, he and Chef Mahin expanded Summer House Santa Monica to the Washington, D.C. market, opening Summer House in North Bethesda, MD. In February 2015, Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar opened in North Bethesda, MD.

Brennan now lives in Lincoln Park with his wife Sarah and their children, Henry and Harrison. When not working, he works on the couple’s 150-year-old vintage row house and enjoys traveling and dining with his family.

Grant Waspi

Partner and Director of Operations at Lettuce Fly, LLC

Grant Waspi is a Partner and Director of Operations at Lettuce Fly, LLC, the airport division of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. Lettuce Fly introduces Lettuce’s high-quality dining experiences to the traveling public including full-service restaurants, bars, kiosks and markets.

Originally from Palatine, IL, Grant has been working in the restaurant industry ever since he was 14 years old, when he worked as a busboy and food runner at Fritzl’s European Restaurant & Pub in Lake Zurich, IL. While Grant was in school studying Business Management at Eastern Illinois University, he continued working in restaurants, working a multitude of positions both front-of-house and back-of-house at Tracks Bar and Grill in Cary, IL.

Grant started his career with Lettuce as an intern in 2007 at Osteria Via Stato in Chicago, IL. He worked his way up to Manager and was promoted to General Manager in 2011. In 2015, Grant moved up to Divisional Supervisor, assisting Executive Partner Scott Barton in the day-to-day operations.

In 2018, Grant began to work with Lettuce Fly and today, Grant oversees more than a dozen different airport restaurants in several cities around the country including Chicago, Washington D.C., Denver, Charlotte and Orlando is coming soon. The airport restaurant brands include signature Lettuce concepts like Big Bowl, Magic Pan, Hub 51, Summer House Santa Monica, Urban Olive, RJ Grunts Burgers & Fries, Big City Chicken, Tallboy Taco, and more to come in the future.

In addition to overseeing operations of Lettuce Fly, Grant also works in partnership with Dream Golf at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, WI, assisting in development of food and beverage programs at the resort. Grant is passionate about bringing the same attention to detail and Lettuce culture of caring to Lettuce Fly concepts. To achieve this, Grant believes it is critical to spend time working side-by-side with the employees in the restaurants.

When Grant is not in the restaurants, he enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle and their three children Payton, Maya and Easton and their dog Stone. As a family they love to be outdoors, and enjoy skiing, camping, fishing, and hiking.

Greg Nemeth

Partner of Wildfire and Big Bowl

Greg Nemeth is a Partner with the Wildfire & Big Bowl Division at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants.

Born in Chicago but raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Greg’s passion for food started when he would assist his mom in making dinner as a child. Growing up he worked many different positions at a local iconic restaurant, The Hayward Fishery, and that cemented his hospitality career trajectory.

A graduate of California Culinary Academy, Greg held various leadership positions within the hospitality industry, including with The Santa Barbara Biltmore, Max’s Restaurants of San Francisco, The Northern California Golf Association, The Cheesecake Factory and Granite City.
In 2006, Greg rejoined Max’s Restaurants, as they were looking to expand into the Chicagoland market. He returned to his hometown and opened Billy Berk’s Restaurant & Piano Bar in Westfield’s Old Orchard.
Greg joined Lettuce in 2010 and since then has served as a General Manager at three Wildfire locations, Lincolnshire, Chicago and Glenview where he plays an important role in developing the management team in the Wildfire division.

Greg lives in Western Springs with his wife, Marina and their children, Andrew and Lucia. He loves attending Little League Games, orchestra concerts and dance recitals.

Hisanobu Osaka

Chef/Partner

Chef Hisanobu Osaka, a native of Japan, began his career at the Hilton Hotel Group.  As Chef de Partie at the Hilton in Nagoya, Chef Osaka assisted in special events, where he collaborated with world-renowned Michelin-starred Chef Mark Meneau of L’Esperance. With that experience, Chef Osaka’s interests spread abroad when he was chosen to become the executive and private chef for the General Counsel of Japan in New Orleans in 1998.

In 2002, Chef Osaka joined Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto as a sous chef for his restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. Chef Osaka was able to influence menu development, as well as further mastering his craft. In 2009, he went on to work with Chef Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud and Daniel in New York (where Daniel won three Michelin stars in 2010) before returning to Chef Morimoto’s team as a corporate chef where he assisted with training and menu development at Morimoto Napa, Waikiki, Mexico, and Miami. While in Waikiki, he had the honor of cooking dinner for former President Barack Obama and his family, at their vacation home.

Shortly after arriving in Chicago, Chef Osaka joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants as a corporate chef.  He focused on menu development for new concepts and existing brands, creating dishes for a wide variety of cuisines including Japanese-Italian, Spanish tapas, Mediterranean and quick-service Asian.  

Chef Osaka leads the culinary team at Miru, slated to open at the St. Regis Chicago in Spring 2023.  The restaurant will showcase Osaka’s extensive classical French training and Japanese heritage, with selections like handmade dumplings, Izakaya-style dishes, an extensive sushi and sashimi program, as well as a robust wagyu and seafood section.  The elegant dining room and open-air terraces boast expansive views of the Chicago River and Navy Pier.

Jason Hollembeak

Creative Director and Partner

Jason is the Creative Director and a Partner at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. Jason leads the in-house design team that is responsible for creating the branding and visual communications from menu design and merchandise to signage and more on behalf of the restaurants as well as the Lettuce corporate brand.

Jason has always had a passion for art and design, attending school at Columbia College in Chicago, IL.

In addition to his love of art and design, Jason also has a passion for restaurants and hospitality. He started his career with Lettuce more than 20 year ago as a bartender and host at Scoozi in 1997. He eventually moved into management at Scoozi and Antico Posto. He briefly left Lettuce to start a freelance graphic design career and re-joined Lettuce at foodlife, Chicago’s first food hall, in 2000. Over the next few years, he assisted with other Lettuce concepts including Tucci Benucch, Big Bowl, Wow Bao, Mon Ami Gabi, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! and more.

It was during the opening of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! in Las Vegas that Jason began to develop a relationship with Lettuce founder, Rich Melman. He collaborated with Rich on menu design and branding and in 2004, Jason moved to the Lettuce corporate office to begin working on graphic design for all Lettuce restaurant brands as well as the corporate brand.

From there, the graphic design team at Lettuce was born and in 2011, Jason was named Creative Director, where he and his designers oversee all facets of visual communications in-house. Today, Jason and his team work closely with partners, chefs and operators to create the branding, menus, signage, packaging, merchandise, marketing and social media campaigns and website design.

In addition to restaurant design, Jason is also a partner in the award-winning barbecue and country music festival, Windy City Smokeout that started in 2013. Jason and his team handle all the branding for the festival, execute on-site graphics, merchandise, promotions, and more.

Jason lives in Chicago with his wife Eileen. In his free time, he loves to travel and eat abroad, as well as play the drums.

Jeff Mahin

Chef / Partner of Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Summer House Santa Monica and Do-Rite Donuts

Jeff Mahin is the co-founder of consumable nutrition brand Split Nutrition, as well as a chef / partner of Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar (Santa Monica, Hollywood, Chicago, Bethesda), Summer House Santa Monica (Chicago, Bethesda) and Do-Rite Donuts (Chicago).

Mahin has accumulated several industry accolades including Zagat “30 under 30” list in 2012, Forbes “30-under-30” list of hospitality industry up-and-comers in 2012 and Restaurant Hospitality’s “13 to watch in 2013,”; as well as been a contestant on the first season of ABC’s “The Taste.” Chef Mahin is also the host of Cooking Channel’s newest cooking competition, Farmer’s Market Flip which debuted in April 2017.

Mahin spent much of his teen years using his natural talent and instinct to construct and deconstruct whatever foods he touched in his family’s kitchen. At age 17, Mahin began his professional training at the California Culinary Academy and later studied science and mathematics at University of California, Berkley. Mahin has had experience working in prestigious kitchens around the country from Nobu in New York City to San Francisco’s Millennium, Blackhawk Grill and Patrick David’s. In 2006, he became a laboratory assistant at the three-star Michelin rated restaurant, The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, England under chef/owner Heston Blumenthal.

In 2007, Mahin headed back to the U.S. where he assisted famed chef Laurent Gras in opening L2O in Chicago, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant’s Michelin-starred, modern seafood restaurant. He then started as a corporate chef within Lettuce, collaborating closely with the hospitality group’s partners including Lettuce founder Rich Melman to develop new recipes for the group’s more than 100 restaurants.

Mahin opened his first Lettuce concept, artisanal pizzeria Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar, in Santa Monica in 2011 with Lettuce managing partners R.J. and Jerrod Melman. There he experimented with more than 30 different variations to create restaurant’s signature pizza crust, using locally-milled flour and farmer’s market ingredients to make up the ever-changing menu. His California concepts also include M Street Kitchen in Santa Monica and the second location of Stella Barra in Hollywood.

In 2012, Mahin expanded to Chicago, partnering with Chef Francis Brennan to open artisanal doughnut shop Do-Rite Donuts and in summer 2014, Mahin and Brennan opened the second Do-Rite location in downtown Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. Do-Rite’s doughnuts are prepared daily in small batches and utilize seasonal ingredients like Meyer lemon in the winter and fraise des bois in the spring.

In addition to Do-Rite, Mahin increased his Chicago presence in fall 2013 with two new Lincoln Park restaurants: his third iteration of Stella Barra, as well as a new concept, Summer House Santa Monica, bringing laid-back California-style cuisine to the Windy City. Designed to evoke a laidback, friendly vibe reminiscent of the Golden State, Summer House serves an ever-changing menu that spotlights locally-sourced produce and ingredients whenever possible and also boasts Mahin’s signature artisanal bread program.

In early 2015, Mahin expanded to the Washington, DC market, opening the fourth location of Stella Barra and the second location of Summer House Santa Monica in North Bethesda, MD.

Mahin is also an ambassador for Chefs Cycle, a fundraising endurance event featuring award-winning chefs fighting childhood hunger outside the kitchen. Last year, Jeff and over 100 other chefs from around the country raised over 1 million dollars to battle childhood hunger in the U.S. Next year, Jeff plans to ride across the U.S. with fellow chefs to raise money and awareness for No Kid Hungry and Chefs Cycle.

When Mahin isn’t cooking or riding his bike, he can be seen on a variety of cooking shows including Sugar Showdown on Cooking Channel. He also has a passion for health and nutrition, and enjoys discussing food and with some of the country’s leading nutritionists.

Jeffrey Hubbeling

Partner and Director of Operations for Pizzeria Portofino, RPM Events and RPM Seafood

Jeffrey Hubbeling is Partner and Director of Operations for Pizzeria Portofino, RPM Events and RPM Seafood, all located at 317 N. Clark Street along the Chicago River in downtown Chicago.

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in history from American University, Jeffrey opted to forgo graduate school and instead head to Colorado to ski. There, he took a job with the Chart House restaurant so he could ski during the day and work at night. This is where he found his passion for the restaurant business. The Chart House soon offered him the opportunity to go into management, so in 1992 he joined their team. In 1994, he moved to New York to become the General Manager of Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Manhattan where he enjoyed great success. After more than a decade there, Jeffrey was promoted to Midwest Regional Vice President, covering eleven locations, and relocated to Chicago in 2006.

Having moved to the Chicago area with his wife – who was expecting their first child at the time – the couple landed in Naperville. The job of RVP required a great deal of travel, which Jeffrey grew tired of, so he applied to work for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. In March 2010, he was hired as the General Manager of Shaw’s Crab House. In 2015, Jeffrey moved to the role of General Manager at RPM Italian where he thrived on the excitement of the industry and focused on personal and professional development for both himself and his team and was later named Associate Partner.

Jeffrey spent four years as General Manager of RPM Italian before moving over in 2019 to the RPM brand’s latest development – a multi-level project located right on the Chicago River – where he serves as both Partner and Director of Operations. The space houses three different concepts: the casual riverfront restaurant, Pizzeria Portofino; a private event and wedding space, RPM Events; and the fish and seafood-focused restaurant, RPM Seafood.

When asked what he’s most proud of, Jeffrey says it’s having worked for Lettuce brands that have had sales growth year after year, and he is looking forward to working with his partners in developing RPM into one of the best restaurant brands in the country.

Jeffrey resides in Naperville and enjoys spending time with his lovely wife, Jana, and their daughter, Abigail, who is a competitive figure skater. He also enjoys playing golf, running, rock climbing and reading in his free time.

Jessica Ling

Associate Partner and Assistant Controller at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants

Jessica Ling grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and attended DePaul University, where she received her degree in Accounting. She started her career at Lettuce Entertain You as an intern in 2004 and quickly discovered her passion for merging finance with hospitality. Following her internship, she accepted a job as a staff accountant and has since worked her way to assistant controller at the Lettuce corporate office.

During her time at Lettuce, Jessica has been an integral part of overseeing the Accounting Department. Jessica loves working on implementing technological initiatives from an accounting perspective. Most recently, she designed the financial software program that will be used across more than 110 Lettuce restaurants nationwide. As part of the program’s rollout, Jessica is responsible for training all office managers company wide to successfully utilize the new software at their restaurants.

In her new role, Jessica looks forward to continuing her growth as a leader while empowering others to do the same. Today she co-manages a team of 16 accountants at the Lettuce corporate office and leads the summer intern accounting program.

Jessica lives in Chicago with her husband and two dogs, Toody and Kira. She can talk about music, movies, and books for hours. She’s a self-taught stained glass artist, and her favorite place is her stained glass studio. Her second favorite is a record store.

John Economos

Partner at Beatrix

John Economos first began his restaurant career with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in 2006 at Di Pescara in Northbrook, IL. Since then, he has gained experience at a number of restaurants within Lettuce’s portfolio, including Petterinos, Foodlife, Foodease, Beatrix, Beatrix Market and Bar Ramone.

In 2013, John joined the opening management team at Beatrix River North. He was instrumental in the development of the restaurant’s coffee and music programs and also worked with mixologists to create the fresh-squeezed juice cocktail menu.

In 2015, John was promoted to General Manager and led the opening team of Beatrix Streeterville. He helped create the first Beatrix Market, a quick grab and go experience, while also continuing to drive the beverage culture for the Beatrix brand. John also assisted with the opening of Lettuce’s first wine bar, Bar Ramone in 2018.

When John is not in the restaurants, he enjoys going to concerts and spending time with his wife, Jenny and their son, George.

John Simmons

Chief Human Resources Officer and Associate Partner

After graduating with a Hospitality degree from UNLV, John joined Hyatt Hotels’ management training program and advanced through a variety of HR roles in 4 states. He left Hyatt to attend Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC, where he interned at the National Labor Relations Board.   Following admission to the Bar, John joined Morgan Lewis as a Litigation Associate until returning to Hyatt to join their in-house commercial legal team.  John later moved to positions directly supporting HR teams as employment law counsel at U.S. Foods, Darden Restaurants and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.   Throughout his career as an in-house lawyer and HR professional, John has supported and led domestic and global integrations, HR systems implementations and a variety of HR teams and disciplines.

John joined Lettuce in 2016.  He was named Chief Human Resources Officer in 2019 and Associate Partner in 2022.  Along with Lettuce’s Benefits, DEI Program, Employee Engagement, HR Systems, and Compliance, Learning & Development and Recruiting teams, John is responsible for developing and executing HR strategies, driving and facilitating transformation and continuous improvement through people, and coaching and guiding corporate and business leaders and employees at all levels through employee relations matters and their own personal development, — all with a constant focus on Lettuce's Culture of Caring.

John grew up in a small town on the Massachusetts coast south of Boston.  At 16, he entered the industry as a dishwasher and worked multiple kitchen and dining room positions as well as the front desk at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.  John moved to Chicago in 1994, where he met his husband, Todd. They live a few blocks from Wrigley Field with their very spoiled dogs.   They love to travel and explore live theater of all kinds whenever they can.

Justin Diglia

Chef Partner at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Justin Diglia is the Chef Partner at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. Growing up in a small Midwestern town of only 1,800, Justin Diglia’s interest in hospitality didn’t stem from dining at splashy restaurants or eating the food of award-winning chefs. Rather, it was the time he spent in the kitchens of his Italian family members, learning first-hand, the art of heartfelt, soulful cooking, that initially inspired his culinary ambitions.

Recognizing that food and hospitality had become his passion, Diglia decided to attend Sullivan University where he graduated with a double major in Culinary Arts and Business Administration. Following graduation, he took a position as Executive Sous Chef at Vincenzo’s, an old-world Italian restaurant located in Louisville, Kentucky. It was here that Justin honed his skills, fine-tuning his craft and mastering classic Italian and French techniques.

Eager to spread his wings in a bigger culinary city, Justin moved to Chicago in 2011. While he will admittedly say that the proximity to his Ohio hometown was an added bonus, it was the opportunity to join one of the most highly regarded restaurant groups in the country, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, that really sold him. Justin joined the team at Joe’s in 2011 as a Sous Chef, where his effusive goodwill and killer work ethic allowed him to quickly rise the ranks. Justin was named Executive Chef of Joe’s Chicago in the fall of 2016, and in 2021, was named an Chef Partner. He is responsible for overseeing the culinary teams and operations in each of Joe’s markets including Chicago, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas

Justin is constantly inspired by his teams’ passion for excellence and credits the high standards of service and quality of product as reasons that set Joe’s apart from its competition.

Justin currently resides in Chicago with his wife and two daughters. When he is not in the kitchen, he enjoys spending time with his two Shibu Inu’s, working out and watching Ohio State football.

Kaze Chan

Master Sushi Chef & Partner | Sushi-San

Master sushi chef Kaze Chan began his culinary career at the age of 20 while simultaneously pursuing his degree in architecture. He apprenticed at Restaurant Suntory in Boston as Assistant Sushi Chef, and from there he continued his culinary training under official Japanese Sushi Master, Shozu Iwamoto.

Upon graduation, Chan moved to Chicago where he was exposed to cuisines from around the world. New flavors and styles inspired him to incorporate global ingredients into his Japanese dishes. He furthered his career at premier establishments, including Sai Café, Mirai, Heat, Sushi Samba and Executive Chef / Partner of Kaze Sushi, where he refined his craft and continued to break the mold of Japanese cuisine.

In 2009, Chan was named Executive Sushi Chef / Partner at Macku Sushi. During this time, his innovative take on Japanese cuisine garnered high praise, being named one of the country’s best sushi restaurants by Travel + Leisure magazine and recommended by the Michelin Guide. From there, Chan joined Boka Restaurant Group’s Momotaro as Head Sushi Chef in 2014, where his passion for Japanese cuisine accompanied by his architectural background transformed each dish into a unique work of art.

With more than 20 years of experience in all facets of traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine, Chan made the move to the renowned Chicago-based restaurant group, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. In December 2017, Chan and his Lettuce partners opened up Sushi-san in the heart of Chicago’s River North – a “not-your-typical sushi joint” that serves up crispy hand rolls, bincho-tan roasted meats and ice-cold Asahi beer in a raw industrial atmosphere. Guests can see Chan and his sushi chefs in action at the sushi counter for a 45-minute-for-$45 omakase experience spotlighting the day’s most unique and interesting ingredients.

Chan and the Sushi-san team opened the second Sushi-san in Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower in 2021 and most recently in February 2022, The master sushi chef and his team opened The Omakase Room at Sushi0-san, a unique omakase experience above Sushi-san River North where Chan will showcases a 18-course menu with luxury ingredients.

Mark Sotelino

Partner, Mon Ami Gabi and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

Mark Sotelino is a Partner at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and is responsible for supervising concepts including Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! and four Mon Ami Gabi locations. Sotelino was born and raised in Chicago and grew up in the various restaurants that his father Chef Gabino Sotelino helped create and grow with Lettuce Entertain You. Mark started his career in hospitality at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! as a host while he was a journalism student at DePaul University.

His passion for food, wine and service was unlocked immediately and at just 21 years old, Mark started to train as a manager at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!.His tenure with Lettuce took him to both front-of-house and back-of-house at several restaurants including Mon Ami Gabi, Ambria, Shaw’s Crab House, Vong’s Thai Kitchen and RJ Grunts.

In 2000, Mark was on the opening team of the Mon Ami Gabi-Oakbrook as a manager and two years later, he relocated to Washington D.C. to open Mon Ami Gabi-Bethesda. Mark returned to Chicago and in 2004 and worked as a manager at Scoozi, becoming the general manager just one year later.

In 2008, Mark was offered the role of general manager of Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!, a role he excelled in for about nine years, before transitioning into a divisional supervisor role in 2017.

Mark has been with Lettuce for more than 20 years and today he oversees training and developing for four Mon Ami Gabi locations including Lincoln Park, Oakbrook, Reston and Bethesda.

While his number one passion is food and beverage, Mark is an avid basketball fan who loves to write from time-to-time, especially when he is traveling.

Matt Mulvihill

Partner of Saranello’s

Matt Mulvihill is a partner of Saranello’s, a restaurant by Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants.

A native of Glenview, IL, Matt graduated from the University of Illinois-Champaign with a degree in restaurant management in 1987. He spent the following six years working for S & A Restaurant Corporation, and in 1993, he was hired by Lettuce to serve in management at Maggiano’s Little Italy. In 1996, Maggiano’s was sold to Brinker International where Matt continued his services as a Managing Partner. He went to Washington D.C. to open up restaurants and lived there for three years. In 2000 he became the Midwest Director for Maggiano’s and opened up four restaurants in the region. Matt then rejoined Lettuce in May 2007 as the general manager and partner of Reel Club in Oakbrook, IL, which he opened with Mark Tormey and Mychael Bonner. He was at Reel Club until 2016 before taking over at Saranello’s.

Matt ultimately decided to rejoin Lettuce because of the challenge and excitement of opening a new restaurant. “Lettuce has a quality reputation for the food, service, and overall operation of their restaurants,” he comments. “I knew people within the company whom I trust and believe in.”

In 2016, Matt took his expertise to Saranello’s, while also continuing to work with other restaurants within the Di Pescara Division.

As a general manager, Matt says no day is the same and enjoys taking care of people and improving operational efficiency on a daily basis. He loves being surrounded by employees who truly make the restaurant work at an optimum level.

While restaurants are an important part of Matt’s life, his family is integral to his success. Matt has been married to his wife Frances for 22 years and they have three children: Mitchell, Maria, and Nicholas. Matt and Frances also keep busy attending many baseball, basketball and lacrosse games, and other sporting events that their three children are involved in. Matt and his family currently reside in Hinsdale, IL.

Matt cherishes being a part of Lettuce family, which he calls a “wonderful group of people to grow with personally and professionally.”

Matt Whittaker

Associate Partner with Lettuce at Navy Pier, Water Tower Place, and M Burger

Matt Whittaker is an Associate Partner with Lettuce Entertain You, overseeing the several fast casual restaurants on Chicago’s Navy Pier, Water Tower Place, and three M Burger locations.

Matt grew up in Western Springs, IL and enjoyed dining out at a very young age. He was first introduced to Lettuce through its many restaurants in the Oakbrook Mall.

After graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a business degree, Matt took a position as a server at Tucci Benucch in the 900 Building in Chicago on Michigan Avenue. It wasn’t long before he started his management career at Tucci Benucch. Matt then went to L Woods Tap and Pine Lodge as a manager before coming back downtown to become a member of the opening management team of Frankie’s Scaloppine and Frankie’s Pizzeria. Matt was promoted to the General Manager of Frankie’s in 2010.

In 2015, Lettuce opened two restaurants on the newly renovated Navy Pier including Frankie’s by the Slice and Big Bowl. Shortly after opening, Matt took over as General Manager and helped open two more restaurants at Navy Pier: Big City Chicken and Ozzie’s Pops and Pretzels on Navy Pier. In 2021, he took on additional responsibilities overseeing the restaurants at Water Tower Place on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile including Frankie’s Slice Shop, Sacred Grounds as well as reopening Do Rite Donuts. In his current role, Matt focuses on both front of house and back of house operations, hiring, employee development and training for several fast casual concepts throughout the Lettuce family.

Matt and his wife Courtney reside in Western Springs and have two boys, Donovan and Ryan. If Matt isn’t with his family or at work chances are you can find him on a golf course.

Maureen Larson

Partner of Aba, The Dalcy and The Ivy Room

Maureen Larson is a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants Partner with Aba & The Dalcy as well as The Ivy Room.

Maureen’s passion for the hospitality industry was sparked between her Freshman & Sophomore year of college during a summer job at The Drake Hotel. She immediately loved meeting people from around the world and making their stay unforgettable. Switching colleges she headed off to the University of Wisconsin Stout majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

After several years in the hotel industry, she joined Lettuce in 1991 pursuing a career in sales and catering. Maureen worked at many Lettuce restaurants including Brasserie Jo, Papagus and Bub City as a Sales and Catering Manager and then the Divisional Director of Sales. In the early 2000’s Maureen moved to the Lettuce corporate office eventually becoming the Vice President of Parties and Special Events. In 2015 she became a Partner in Lettuce’s first event venue The Ivy Room followed by The Dalcy Event Hall in the Summer of 2018.

Maureen has two children who she says she learns so much from each and every day. She has a passion for helping develop young women leaders, is a sports enthusiast (Go Bears and Cubs!), and loves serving on several boards in the city of Chicago.

Michael Bellovich

Chef/Partner of HUB 51, R.J. Grunts, RPM Italian and Bub City in Chicago, and all Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar and Summer House Santa Monica

Michael Bellovich is a chef partner of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, overseeing restaurants HUB 51, R.J. Grunts, RPM Italian and Bub City in Chicago, and all Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar and Summer House Santa Monica locations nationwide.

Born and raised in Chicago, Mike became interested in the origins of food and wine at a young age, thanks to his two grandmothers (hailing from Sicily and Czechoslovakia) always preparing hand-made meals. Wanting to emulate the food he always enjoyed growing up eventually led him to the Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago where he expanded his passion to the restaurant industry. Upon graduating, Mike dove in and after working for LaBelle Gourmet Catering in LaGrange, Ill., for a few months, he took a position as sous chef at Carlucci’s in Chicago.

It wasn’t long before Mike’s love for cooking led him to Italy where he worked at various restaurants and took in the rich culture, history and of course, food. After returning to the States in 1998, he joined the Lettuce family and was part of the team behind the kitchen doors at the casual Asian concept, Big Bowl. He went on to help assist in opening and operating numerous Big Bowl restaurants across the country before heading off to Las Vegas and joining renowned Chef Gabino Sotelino at Spanish tapas restaurant Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! where he used his culinary expertise as the executive chef.

After a brief stint at Devito’s in Miami, Mike returned to the Windy City where he assisted in the conception and opening of River North dining destination HUB 51. A 13-year Lettuce veteran, Mike works closely with restaurateurs R.J. and Jerrod Melman and plays an important role at each of their restaurants overseeing the kitchen, operations, teaching, and training on a daily basis.

One of his biggest achievements has been starting new restaurant concepts, from the kitchen blueprints to the menu, and seeing the end result – customers enjoying the food. He aspires to continue opening new restaurants and enjoying the wild and crazy journey that often follows.

Today, Mike resides in the River North neighborhood of Chicago and when he’s not in the kitchen, can be found biking along the lakeshore in the summertime and taking in the occasional baseball game. While catching a good flick is on the top of his list, collecting cookbooks also ranks as a hobby – the “Fat Duck Cookbook” being his most recent addition.

Michael Cunningham

Partner of Cafe Ba Ba-Reeba!, Mon Ami Gabi, Summer House Santa Monica and Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar

Michael Cunningham was named a Partner of Mon Ami Gabi & Café Ba Ba Reeba!, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in 2008.

Born the 3rd of eight children, the Cunningham house was always filled with visitors. Conversation and activities were an integral part of the mix. His parents often entertained guests at their large house and were known for their cocktail and dinner parties. He believes that this background set him up for success in the restaurant business because a restaurateur’s job is to entertain on a larger scale but with the same care as if it were your own party. His father often visited Chicago and St. Louis, and at a very young age he accompanied him on these trips and was educated on the proper manners and etiquette of dining out at restaurants. That was back in the days when the doorman at the Drake hotel was responsible to make sure a child didn’t leave the building while the Doctor was attending meetings!

After high school, Cunningham proudly served an 18-month tour of duty in Vietnam and then set off for college at Eastern Illinois University. While in college he managed a popular college bar and a liquor store. After graduation, he became general manager of a full-service restaurant. After a few years of success there he set his sites on going to California to work for Bob Morris, owner of a beach restaurant that was then the busiest restaurant in California and the 7th busiest in the US. Bob’s forte was menu innovation and marketing. Cunningham enjoyed the assertive marketing style. He became Vice President of Operations for the five restaurants in that company & in charge of the catering division, which often involved the beachfront, clambakes & celebrities. Cunningham is most proud of raising sales from $6 million to $14.5 million in sales during his tenure. “This experience enforced my belief that marketing and special events are an important part of a successful store.”

In 1992, Cunningham moved back to Illinois to be closer to his family. He took the year off to travel & dine through much of Europe & the United States. In 1993 he began his career with Lettuce as General Manager of The Pump Room. In 1998, he moved from tuxedos to tapas and became General Manager of Café Ba Ba Reeba! He was excited about working with a top chef, Gabino Sotelino, and has enjoyed growing the business to new heights. Cunningham said, “I enjoy the restaurant business and the challenges that it offers. I appreciate Lettuce’s depth of systems and the backup that is available for the management, from its marketing department to the human resources and accounting arms. The hands-on approach by members of the executive committee makes it a comfortable company to be a member of.”

Michael was Project Coordinator for the building of Summer House Santa Monica in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL (opened November 2014) and North Bethesda, MD. (opened January 2015) as well as RPM Italian in Washington D.C. (opened June 2016).

Michael oversees the Mon Ami Gabi wine list for the four locations and was awarded the Chevalier of the Odre des Coteaux de Champagne in 2010. Additionally, Michael is one of the partners that directs the annual, highly popular and successful Windy City Smokeout.

Michael lives in Chicago with his wife and their daughter who is attending college. He enjoys yearly backpacking trips to the mountains with his youngest brother, his family’s get-togethers, kayaking, biking, and reading history. His family is sure that if he weren’t in the restaurant business he would be a history professor.

Michael Haley

Chief Information Officer

Michael Haley is the Chief Information Officer and Partner at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, overseeing the Information Technology Department at the corporate office. Throughout his more than 19 years with Lettuce, Michael’s primary goals are to remove obstacles and streamline the IT footprint throughout the organization from products and services that support all employees, the restaurant, and the corporate office. In his role, Michael has the pleasure of assessing the current position of IT throughout the company and strategizing for the future to grow the organization.

Michael graduated from Central Michigan University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering and a double minor in Computer Science and Military Science. He then went on to join the Military, achieving the rank of Major in the Army National Guard.

Prior to joining Lettuce, Michael worked in several different industries in the Engineering and IT fields, including the automotive industry, healthcare, insurance, wine and spirits, and more. Michael attributes his success to his experiences and passion for Engineering, IT, and the Military. He enjoys working with the next generation of IT leaders and learning from them their strengths and areas of opportunities to position them to succeed, thus making the department grow stronger.

Originally from Midland, Michigan, Michael now resides in Grayslake, IL, with his wife of more than 32 years, Kristie. During his free time, Michael loves spending time with his three children, Caleb (wife Courtney), Conor, Chloe, and granddaughter Kinsley! He enjoys outdoor activities and traveling with his family. Michael is an avid trout fisherman and enjoys duck hunting and boating.

Mychael Bonner

Chef Partner of Di Pescara, Saranello's, and The Ivy Room

Mychael Bonner returned to Lettuce Entertain You in 2005 after acting as the Vice President of Culinary Operations of Maggiano’s for 13 years.

A veteran of the restaurant industry for over 30 years, Bonner’s experience started when he was a young child watching his mother and grandmother in the kitchen at The Peabody in Memphis. As a high school student in Muncie, IN, Bonner began cooking at The Flamingo. He took such a liking to his job that he went on to attend the Culinary Institute of Chicago. After graduating, Bonner began working as a Sous Chef at The 95th. Bonner next went on to travel around the world, experiencing cooking in places such as France, Italy, New York and San Francisco.

In 1992, Bonner joined Maggiano’s. As a part of the Maggiano’s team, Chef Bonner opened 36 Maggiano’s restaurants across the United States. In 2005, Bonner returned to Lettuce as Executive Chef and culinary talent behind a new concept called Di Pescara. In 2011, Bonner worked with partner Mark Tormey on the Italian restaurant, Saranello’s, in Wheeling. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bonner and his team opened B Square Pizza, a Detroit-style carryout and delivery only concept in Chicago's northern suburbs.

Bonner prides himself on taking a clean and fresh approach to food but still likes to keep pushing the boundaries. Fresh ingredients and culinary innovation pepper his every dish. He considers his role as chef paramount to the success of a restaurant, as his ability to work with the team at all times. As a team player, Bonner feels it is important for him and others to give back to the profession.

In his free time, Bonner enjoys bicycling, spending time with his family and cooking Sunday dinner.

Naoki Nakashima

Chef Partner

Born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan, Naoki’s interest in the culinary arts began early. By age 16, he had his first job working in a noodle shop. At 19, he was working in a local fish market, laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of seafood. At 21, he traveled to America through an overseas study program, landing in California at a busy Japanese restaurant. Starting as a dishwasher, he worked his way up through the ranks to the sushi counter. His teacher there, Mr. Masa, soon left to open his own sushi restaurant and took Naoki along with him. His work with Masa-san taught him that classic proportion and attention to detail are crucial to elegant sushi presentations.

When Naoki was 25, a Malaysian friend from America returned home to Kuala Lumpur to find that Japanese cuisine was all the rage there. Opening a restaurant, he coaxed Naoki to join him as chef. One-and-a-half years later, Naoki moved to Hong Kong to open a Japanese Izakaya with another friend. There he executed the sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese small plates, similar to tapas.

He eventually landed in Chicago, at NoMI in the Park Hyatt. There his sushi maintained its classical roots, but the rest of the menu opened his imagination to American and European ingredients. Three years later, Naoki was discovered by Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants’ CEO Kevin Brown, who asked him to join the Shaw’s Crab House family. He has since elevated Shaw’s sushi program with solid execution and innovative flavor combinations.

In 2016, Chef Naoki opened his namesake sushi den in Lincoln Park’s iconic Belden Stratford which was named one of the best sushi restaurants in Chicago by Time Out Chicago. In 2018, Chef Naoki also launched a virtual concept, Naoki Fried Chicken, available for carryout and delivery only.

In addition to making his mark with Shaw’s, Naoki has also developed sushi programs at several other Lettuce restaurants, including Schaumburg’s Tokio Pub. In 2020, Naoki Sushi re-launched as a pop-up carryout and delivery only restaurant in Chicago’s River North.

Today, Chef Naoki continues to assist in developing and refining sushi programs throughout Lettuce restaurants.

Osvaldo Ocegueda

Partner of Lettuce Fly

Chef Osvaldo (Ozzie) Ocegueda was born in Jalisco Mexico and moved to Chicago at the age of 2. His passion for cooking began when he would help his grandmother and mother cook at home. He later went onto work in fast-casual restaurants starting at age 15.

Ozzie joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in 1997 with the Big Bowl Division. He worked his way up from handling carry out to working nearly every kitchen position, trainer, sous chef, and executive chef. His career with Big Bowl spanned five different states and when Big Bowl was purchased by Brinker in 2000, Ozzie continued working with the brand. He has been a part of the opening for every new location to date.

He re-joined Lettuce in 2005 and continued to grow the Big Bowl brand along with Big Bowl Chinese Express locations in MN and MO. Ozzie worked with the Big Bowl team for 13 years and in January 2013, he joined Lettuce Fly, a division within Lettuce that oversees the development of restaurants in airports.

His first project with Lettuce Fly was to open Big Bowl at O’Hare International Terminal 5 in 2013.

Ozzie is full time with the Lettuce Fly and has created more than 11 different airport restaurants in three cities including Big Bowl, Wow Bao, Magic Pan, Hub 51, Summer House Santa Monica, Urban Olive, and RJ Grunts Burger & Fries with more to come.

Ozzie also works with Lettuce Fly on Lettuce’s growth at Navy Pier, specifically developing back-of-house systems for the restaurants at the pier. He collaborated with the team on developing a menu for Big Bowl, Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice and Big City Chicken which opened in June 2015.

In 2018, Ozzie and his team opened a small kiosk Ozzie Pops & Pretzels that specializes in seasonal popsicles and hand-twisted pretzels at Navy Pier.

In his free time, Ozzie gives back to philanthropic causes, especially Misericordia. He and his wife Norma have five children and live in Chicago, they love to take annual vacations to different parts of Mexico to learn and enjoy the culture.

Raul Gutierrez

Partner / Executive Chef, Big Bowl

Raul Gutierrez is the Executive Chef of Big Bowl and is responsible for all kitchen operations, as well as food development, for the seven locations Illinois, Virginia and Minnesota.

Raul was born in Michoacan, Mexico and at the age of 16 he moved to Chicago and joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, working as a busboy and line cook at RJ Grunts. From there, he joined the team at Shaw’s Crab House where he continued to take on more kitchen responsibilities. After succeeding at Shaw’s, Raul was selected as the Kitchen Manager for Big Bowl. It was at Big Bowl that Raul excelled and quickly became the Chef. When Lettuce sold Big Bowl to Brinker International, Raul’s skills were recognized and he was immediately promoted to Executive Chef, a promotion that included a move to Texas. While in Texas, he and his team opened eighteen Big Bowl locations under Brinker International.

When Big Bowl was sold back to Lettuce, Raul was thrilled to return to his adopted hometown of Chicago and continue to lead the concepts. Raul’s passion is working in kitchens and his career trajectory with Big Bowl and leadership from Divisional Partner, Howard Katz, showed him that loyalty, hard work and perseverance really pay off.

Today, alongside his partners, Raul oversees kitchen operations and menu development for seven Big Bowl locations across three states.

Raul enjoys spending time with his wife, Maria, 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Raul shares his passion for food at home as he loves to entertain his friends and family with his exploration of varied cuisines.

Richard Hanauer

Partner and Wine Director

Richard Hanauer is the Operational Partner for RPM Restaurants and Pizzeria Portofino and the Wine Director for The Oakville Grill & Cellar.

Hanauer began his wine studies around the family dinner table before eventually making it his career. He studied Hospitality at Syracuse University, and went on to work in restaurants in Chicago’s West Loop. In 2008 he joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants as a sommelier, and in 2014, Hanauer joined RPM Restaurants to lead their wine program.

Having started his wine career working as the sommelier at 160Blue and as a fine wine expert for Levy Restaurants, Hanauer’s career in wine truly came to fruition in 2008 when he was named sommelier of Tru Restaurant in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood at the age of 25—the youngest person to ever hold that title at Tru. After working there for three years and obtaining his Advanced Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Hanauer joined L2O restaurant as Wine Director. There, he began crafting one of the world’s finest white wine and champagne menus. In 2014, he joined the RPM Italian team, and soon after began planning the cellars of forthcoming sister restaurant, RPM Steak, which opened in 2014. RPM Italian in Washington, DC soon followed in 2016.

In August 2018, along with his partners, Richard opened Bar Ramone – Lettuce’s first wine bar – in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. In July 2019, Richard and his RPM Restaurant partners opened Pizzeria Portofino, a casual restaurant reminiscent of the Italian Riviera. In September 2019, Hanauer and the team introduced private events and wedding space, RPM Events, and in January 2020, they opened RPM Seafood with RPM Italian Las Vegas following in May 2022.

During his time at Tru, the restaurant received a James Beard Foundation Award for best service in the country and a Grand Cru Award for its wine list, which is the highest attainable distinction from Wine Spectator magazine. While at L2O, the restaurant received its prestigious third Michelin star; simultaneously Zagat named Hanauer a “30 under 30”. After opening RPM Steak, Hanauer was named “Sommelier of the Year” by Food & Wine magazine in 2015. Since then, all three RPM restaurants have received Wine Spectator’s “Best of” Awards of Excellence as well as three out of three stars from the World of Fine Wine magazine’s awards. In 2019, he was named by Wine Enthusiast magazine as one of their 40 Under 40 Tastemakers. Most recently, Hanauer and team opened a California wine country-inspired restaurant in Fulton Market District, The Oakville Grill & Cellar.

Hanauer currently lives in Chicago (and has no plans of changing that) with his wife, Kristen, their children, Madison and Teddy, and pup, Porcini. His greatest pride is the sommeliers with whom he gets to work alongside at the RPM Restaurants.

Rita Dever

Chef Partner of Beatrix, Do-Rite, Ema and Corporate Chef of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants

Rita Dever is a Chef Partner of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and Chef Partner of Beatrix. A native to the Northwest, Rita grew up surrounded by an abundance of natural food and beauty. Her early years as a chef had her traveling all over the world.

Rita completed culinary school in Paris, trained with her mentor, Madeleine Kamman in New Hampshire and opened restaurants in Los Angeles, Maui, New York and Seattle as a Sous Chef at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

In 2004, she came to Chicago and joined Lettuce as Corporate Chef. Working closely with Rich Melman in the test kitchen, the two collaborate daily on creating new dishes and innovating existing menus for all Lettuce restaurants. It was Rita’s creations in the “Lab” that sparked the fire for Beatrix.

Now, as Chef Partner, her culinary experience has come full circle. Her Pacific Northwest whole-foods mentality drives each dish at Beatrix, bringing a “taste over trend” philosophy and healthful twist to each dish.

Rosalyn Gibbs Dawson

Partner of Big Bowl Chinese Express

When Rosalyn Gibbs Dawson began considering a career, advice given to her when she was about 5 years old resurfaced and resonated when a friend of the family told her to find something you love to do and then find someone to pay you for it.

She loved learning about business and marketing but was not particularly intrigued by the kitchen. Always up for a challenge and wanting to challenge herself outside of her natural ability, Rosalyn surprised her family and friends and enrolled in culinary school at the Art Institutes International Minnesota.

Rosalyn learned about Rich Melman and the passion driving the success of his restaurants on the first day of classes. Before long, she fell hard for the energy, excitement, and creativity of the hospitality industry. It was an ideal fit for someone whose strong work ethic was instilled at 14 while working for an interior design company in her hometown of Rogers, Minnesota.

After graduation, Rosalyn worked as a kitchen manager before becoming a part of the original team behind Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants’ Shanghai Circus in 2004. She began as a Fast Casual General manager for Shanghai Circus in the original Edina location. She then played an integral role in the transition and re-branding of Shanghai Circus to Big Bowl Chinese Express. Rosalyn has been managing the growing group of Big Bowl Chinese Express locations in Minnesota since 2010. In early 2014 Rosalyn opened Tucci Italian, a quick service version of Lettuce’s Tucci Benucch opened in Minnesota serving fresh hand-stretched pizzas and pastas. These concept’s food and operation culture continue to evolve under Rosalyn’s leadership.

“The secret to my success has been hiring passionate people,” says Rosalyn about becoming a Partner at Lettuce. “I’m always looking for individuals who want to challenge themselves and reach beyond their natural ability. I love developing, teaching and coaching people as well as learning from them. Our team inspires me to foster an environment that creates new opportunities for everyone.”

When away from Big Bowl Chinese Express, Rosalyn can be found entertaining in her Chaska, Minnesota home with her husband, Justin, step-daughter Laila and her many pets. She enjoys music, cooking, watching the Minnesota Vikings and is an active member of her community.

Rosemary Waldmeier

Partner and General Manager of Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab - Chicago

Rosemary is a Partner and General Manager of Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab - Chicago.

She was born and raised in downtown Chicago and her father, Leo Waldmeier was the Executive Chef at the Drake Hotel for 35 years. He instilled a love of cooking and eating in her starting from a very young age. Her first job in restaurants was as a hostess at Gibson’s Chicago in 2007. In 2008, she had a PR internship at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago and also continued to host at Gibson’s. It was during this time that she felt herself gravitating towards the action of being in the lively restaurant.

The following summer, she started her career with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants as an intern at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago. After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Commerce in 2010 from Queen’s University in Ontario, Rosemary returned to Shaw’s as a host and carryout attendant. She grew from host to catering assistant to catering manager within her first year. She then moved into a floor manager role and learned the ins and outs of more formal service.

In 2015, Shaw’s Executive Partner Bill Nevruz offered Rosemary the opportunity to be a part of the opening team of Quality Crab & Oyster Bah in Lincoln Park. Since opening, Rosemary and her team opened Seaside’s To Go, Lettuce’s first virtual restaurant in 2017, as well as Crab Cellar, an unlimited Alaskan King Crab and Prime Burger dining experience, in 2018.

Today, Rosemary is the General Manager of Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Chicago. You can find Rosemary interacting with guests at the restaurant in addition to working on growing the team, training, menu development and more.

During her time with Lettuce, she has learned the value of surrounding yourself with people that have a different perspective and skill set than you do, in order to build a successful, and well rounded team.

When Rosemary is away from the restaurants, she enjoys spending time cooking or dining out with her husband Darryl and her two daughters Cecelia and Louisa. She and Darryl hope to pass on their appreciation and passion for food and dining to their daughters.

Samantha Henry

Associate Partner and Director of Events for RPM Restaurants

Samantha Henry is an Associate Partner and Director of Events for RPM Restaurants, overseeing all on-premise and off-premise events and catering for all RPM Restaurants across the country.

Samantha graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in 2009. Throughout her college career, she worked for Patina Restaurant Group in Los Angeles and completed internships with Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group in New York City and Orient Express Hotels in Peru. Upon graduating in 2009, she worked for Hillstone Restaurant Group working for restaurants in South Florida, Atlanta, and Chicago. She became a General Manager of Houston’s West Paces in Atlanta in early 2014 and then later that year relocated to Chicago to oversee Bandera Restaurant as the General Manager.

She started her career with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in 2016 as a Catering Manager at RPM Steak, overseeing all private parties at the restaurant and off-premise catering for both corporate and social events.

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Samantha and her team quickly pivoted their business model as they saw an opportunity to create virtual events and experiences for social and corporate clients. These interactive virtual classes and events utilized both chef and beverage talents within the RPM Restaurants family, and due to the success of these virtual experiences, Samantha and her team were able to create a new revenue stream for the restaurants during this difficult time.

In Spring 2022, Samantha was named Director of Catering for RPM Restaurants and in this new role, she oversees catering and events for RPM Italian (Chicago, Las Vegas and D.C.), RPM Seafood, RPM Steak, Pizzeria Portofino, RPM Events, and RPM Italian in West Palm Beach coming soon. She now oversees an events and catering team of 18 nationwide working on small and large scale private parties across all the restaurants and event spaces as well as in-home and off-premise catering opportunities. 

Samantha lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter. She loves to travel, learn different languages, explore art museums and stay active so she can enjoy all of the great food Chicago and other cities have to offer! 

Sharon Boudreau

Associate Partner with Eiffel Tower Restaurant

Sharon Boudreau is an Associate Partner at Lettuce Entertain You’s Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Las Vegas, NV.

She grew up in Skokie, IL and started her career in the restaurant industry at her parents’ restaurant in Highland Park, IL. Upon graduating high school, Sharon went on to perform with Ice Capades and Disney on Ice, traveling all over the world before landing in Las Vegas. After being part of the opening food and beverage teams at a couple of casinos, including the opening of Aladdin now Planet Hollywood, she found herself wanting to get back into restaurants.

In 2001, Sharon joined Lettuce as a manager at Eiffel Tower Restaurant, a fine dining French restaurant in the Paris Hotel from acclaimed Chef and Partner Jean Joho. During her nearly two decades at Eiffel Tower, she worked her way up, even becoming the restaurant’s General Manager for 15 years before being named Partner. Today, Sharon oversees a team of 180 people as well as managing the restaurant’s food costs and labor. In 2008, Sharon collaborated with Chef Joho and the team on the development of the Eiffel Tower cookbook.

Sharon is most proud of the restaurant’s growth and creativity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eiffel Tower Restaurant serves more than 4,100 guests per week, who come from all over the world.

A Chicago native and now a Las Vegas transplant, Sharon lives with her husband Bradley whom she met after starting at Eiffel Tower. She enjoys the company of her two amazing daughters Josilyn and Nirvana, her step-sons Tristan and Dustin, and her grandchildren Jameson and Beau.

Stephen Munasinghe

Partner for Twin City Grill and Wildfire Eden Prairie

Stephen Munasinghe is the Partner with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants overseeing operations in Minneapolis for Twin City Grill and Wildfire Eden Prairie.

Stephen grew up in the hospitality industry. His family owned an Italian restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis called Totino’s Italian Kitchen, which started in 1951 when his Great Grandma made her “locally famous” pizza for a banker to taste before he signed off on a loan to start her pizza restaurant. This restaurant thrived for 60 years in the same location and eventually grew into a frozen pizza empire, Totino’s frozen pizzas. It was at his family’s restaurant that Stephen learned that cooking at its simplest form is an art and eating should be a pleasure.

He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a double major of Political Science and Sociology, Stephen’s original career goal was to become an attorney. At this time he was also a host at Bellisio’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in Duluth. While going to school, he worked his way up from the host stand to a management position. Stephen graduated in May 2007, and although he was accepted into law school at Hamline University, he decided he wanted to learn more about business and the restaurant industry.

Stephen began working at Lettuce at the age of 22 as a Manager at Twin City Grill and in 2010, he was promoted to General Manager of Tucci Benucch and Magic Pan at the age of 25. In 2015, he was promoted to Divisional Supervisor, overseeing Tucci Benucch, Twin City Grill, Magic Pan, and Wildfire – Eden Prairie.

Today, he and his partners are not only for growing Lettuce’s presence in Minneapolis but also for developing a talented team in Minneapolis.

Stephen and his wife Christy have two beautiful daughters named Leyla and Quinn. In his free time, they love cooking together playing outside and having kitchen dance parties.

Susan Weaver

Chef Partner of Mon Ami Gabi Division and Beatrix

Susan Weaver is the Chef Partner for Mon Ami Gabi, Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!, and Stripburger Division. Since joining Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in 2003, Weaver has contributed her outstanding talents to the development of the menus and the strength of the culinary teams at Mon Ami Gabi (with locations in Chicago, Oak Brook, Las Vegas, Bethesda, and Reston), Beatrix (Chicago’s Streeterville, River North & Fulton Market neighborhoods), Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! (Chicago & Las Vegas), Stripburger, and Community Canteen.

Her energy and enthusiasm have helped propel these restaurants to the financial success and culinary acclaim they enjoy today. She was instrumental in creating and opening Stripburger Las Vegas in 2007 and is a vital contributor to the creation of her division’s new café concept, Community Canteen, opening in Reston, VA September 2008.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Weaver’s passion for food and travel developed early in life. At the young age of 18, her appetite for travel led her on a two-month voyage through Europe. This turned into a two-year stay where she worked various jobs like picking grapes and oranges, peeling potatoes, and washing dishes at a quaint fish restaurant on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean. These experiences taught her that “working was not just something you did to allow yourself pleasure after work and credits this as the turning point for “setting her career on the right path.”

Weaver apprenticed with world-renowned chefs at the Le Lancaster Hotel in Paris. In addition to her cooking career in Europe, she has spent time in Boston, Houston, Chicago, Toronto, and New York. From 1983 to 2001, Weaver worked for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She experienced many highlights during her tenure with the Four Seasons, including the first woman named the Executive Chef, and successfully reopening two of the Four Seasons’ restaurants in Canada. In 1994 she moved to New York City and lived there for another 9 years leading Manhattan’s Four Seasons as Executive Chef, where she earned three stars in the New York Times.

With a wealth of experience under her belt and her continuous appetite for creativity, Weaver decided it was time to explore another challenge. In 2003 she met Rich Melman, founder of Lettuce and he asked her to cook for him. After her tasting with Rich, she was immediately hired as the Lettuce Culinary Director for the Mon Ami Gabi and Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! Division of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. Adding dimension to her skill set, Weaver was announced partner of Lettuce in July of 2008. She continues to work closely with Rich, CEO Kevin Brown, and Divisional President and Partner, Christopher Meers in expanding and growing restaurant concepts.

Weaver values most her relationship with Christopher Meers as they closely work together on the expansion and development of new Mon Ami Gabi & Beatrix stores and fresh culinary concepts. Weaver is committed to Rich Melman and the Lettuce Partners to deliver innovative, authentic dining experiences with a personal touch…and great food, too!

Terry Lawler

Partner of L.Woods, Antico Posto and Beatrix – Oak Brook

Terry Lawler grew up in the south side of Chicago and attended Purdue University with a Naval ROTC scholarship to pursue a degree in nursing. During summer break, Terry began working in restaurants as a busser, server and bartender and quickly learned of his passion for the industry. Upon returning to school in the Fall, he switched his education focus and graduated in 1999 with a degree in hospitality.

In 2000, Terry joined the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants family as a Manager at L.Woods Tap & Pine Lodge in Lincolnwood, IL. Four years later, he became the General Manager at Tucci Benucch in downtown Chicago where he spent three years overseeing the operations, hiring, staff development and more. In 2008, Terry returned to L.Woods as the General Manager.

In 2019, Terry was part of the opening team to bring Beatrix to Oak Brook where he and his team helped bring the popular neighborhood restaurant and coffeehouse concept from the city to the Chicago suburbs. Today, Terry is the Divisional Supervisor of L.Woods, Antico Posto and Beatrix – Oak Brook.
Terry’s favorite part of the job is being a part of the growth of not only the restaurants, but also the staff he works with. He strongly values Lettuce’s culture of caring and enjoys applying it with his team as well as the guest experience on a daily basis.

When Terry is not in the restaurant, he enjoys spending time with his wife Geralyn and his five children; Maddie, Tommy, Brendan, Scarlett and Emmett as well as vacationing in Michigan.

Thierry Tritsch

Chef Partner

Chef Thierry Tritsch has been with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants for over 25 years, but his love of hospitality began decades earlier in his native France. Working alongside his father and grandmother in the family’s restaurant-hotel gave way to formal training at Lycée Technique D’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme in Strasbourg. He went on to hone his skills at an array of establishments throughout Europe.

Chef Tritsch began his Chicago culinary career with legendary restaurateur Jovan Trboyevic in the vaunted kitchens of Le Perroquet and Les Nomades. He joined Lettuce as a member of the opening team of Brasserie JO, named the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant in 1996, and continued his work with Chef J. Joho as executive chef at Everest Restaurant for 25 years. His innovative approach to classic French cuisine has earned a Michelin star and an array of accolades from Relais & Chateaux, Mobil 5-Star, and AAA Five Diamond.

Thierry believes a great meal is the result of thoughtful collaboration with both farmers, fishermen, purveyors and his culinary team. He prides himself on building relationships with suppliers, using only the finest ingredients and mentoring aspiring chefs. He enjoys working with event hosts to create distinctive menus that bring celebrations to life.

When not exploring new food and wine, Thierry enjoys gardening, bicycling and spending time with his wife Elaine and their daughter, Josephine.

Tim Hockett

Chef Partner of Wow Bao

Tim’s culinary education began 25 years ago when he took a summer job as a food runner at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ Magggiano’s. For the first time in his life, he saw a professional kitchen, with sauces being made from scratch, whole fish being fileted, and a kitchen team serving thousands of people every night. He was hooked instantly and knew the fast and crazy pace of a professional kitchen is where he wanted to be.  Tim quickly decided to enroll and graduate from Washburne Culinary School in Chicago. 

From there, Tim worked his way up the culinary ladder, within and outside of Lettuce -- ice sculpting at Nadeau’s Ice House, learning Cajun cuisine at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, opening Vong and Vong’s Thai Kitchen with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and working at  Chef Rick Tramonto’s acclaimed TRU.

After two years in Charlottesville, VA, as the Chef/Partner of Fuel Co. Bistro & Café and Kluge Estate Farm Shop, Tim returned to Chicago to join the Lettuce team as a corporate chef, working directly with Rich Melman to create new dishes and helping to open the newest Lettuce restaurants.  He then partnered with Scott Barton and Randy Brand to create 7 entirely new concepts and open 14 restaurants, including M Burger, Tallboy Taco, and Big City Chicken.  

In 2014, Tim started cooking for and leading the growing Wow Bao team with CEO Geoff Alexander. As Vice-President of Culinary Operations, Tim has helped the Wow Bao brand expand from 5 Chicago stores to over 500 dark kitchens throughout the US & Canada, 6 airport locations, and products in 1,000+ grocery fresh & frozen sections. Wow Bao is the first restaurant to top Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list twice, winning the award in 2019 and 2022.

 

Vincent Pouessel

Associate Partner and Executive Chef of Mon Ami Gabi

Vincent Pouessel joined the Lettuce Entertain You family in the summer of 2016. Mon Ami Gabi holds particular significance for him: it was one of the first restaurants he visited when he first moved to the United States from France in 2001, and it has been a favorite for him and his wife to celebrate special occasions ever since. Chef Pouessel brings to the table a wealth of knowledge in both French techniques and American methods, looking to seasonal ingredients to define his sense of style in the kitchen. His passion for those fresh, simple ingredients combined with his upbringing and training in France have developed Pouessel into the highly experienced, cultured chef he is today. 

Raised in a family of butchers in a small town in France known for seafood, Chef Pouessel was brought up valuing fresh, quality food. After pursuing culinary training at a young age, he began his career as a seasonal cook at Chez la Mère Pourcel in Brittany before working in both Bordeaux and Paris, where he was honored to be named Executive Sous Chef at Le Jules Verne, the Michelin-starred restaurant located inside the Eiffel Tower. In 2001, he landed in Las Vegas, where he began as Sous Chef at The Mansion at MGM Grand. From there, Chef Pouessel continued to hone his skills and soon left to work as Executive Chef at the Michelin-starred Aureole in Mandalay Bay, followed by db Brasserie – the award-winning restaurant by celebrated Chef Daniel Boulud – located inside the Venetian. 

With this experience under his belt, Chef Pouessel brings not only his expertise to Mon Ami Gabi, but also a true passion for the cuisine, the restaurant and its staff, and hospitality as a whole.

Willie Neal

Partner of Mon Ami Gabi Bethesda & Reston

Willie Neal became a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants partner in the spring of 2008. Traveling the country earning his hotel and restaurant management degree and working with hospitality companies, Willie was ready to find a company that was passionate about hospitality paired with strong family values.

Willie began his journey in Northfield, Vermont where he was raised. Then it was off to James Madison University in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. After graduation, he returned to his native Vermont before setting in Charlotte, North Carolina to begin an eleven-year career with Levy Restaurants. From North Carolina, Willie moved to Chicago to be with his future wife, Kelly, while continuing his career with Levy. Upon moving to Chicago, he realized the overwhelming presence of Lettuce. Lettuce presented Willie with the opportunity to not only to grow personally but to help others to grow as well. He was given the chance to represent Lettuce outside of Chicago and re-locate to enhance his career.

Today, Willie oversees the operations of Mon Ami Gabi in Bethesda, Maryland and Reston, Virginia. Willie strives to strengthen the reputation of Mon Ami Gabi and enjoys working in their unique locations.

With his strong family values, when Willie is away from the restaurants he is spending time with his wife Kelly and two beautiful daughters Hannah Jane and Harper Rose. He also enjoys golfing, gardening and the Boston Red Sox. Willie and his wife especially love eating out and trying new restaurants together.

Yasmin Gutierrez

Partner of Beatrix and Beatrix Market

Yasmin studied Culinary Arts at the Illinois Institute of Art, and quickly realized her passion was in pastry. Looking to gain more experience, she became an intern at the Bittersweet Bakery on the north side of Chicago where she perfected her cookie decorating techniques and learned about traditional, American pastries.

In 2005, Yasmin joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants as a pastry cook at Foodlife in Water Tower Place while also finishing school. Just two years later, Yasmin was promoted to pastry chef, where she also oversaw the pastry programs at both Mity Nice Bar & Grill and Foodease. In 2010, Yasmin furthered her education and pastry knowledge by attending The French Pastry School.

Three years later, Yasmin led the pastry team in the opening of Beatrix River North. She was instrumental in developing the bakery program and menu. In 2015, she was promoted to Executive Pastry Chef and three years later was named Partner. Yasmin now oversees the pastry program at all four Beatrix locations, Beatrix Market and is instrumental with the dessert program at Aba and Ema.

Her specialties include cupcake and cookie creation and design, coffee cakes and birthday cakes. Outside of the bakery, Yasmin enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and playing soccer.