Ethan Samson

Chief Development Officer & Deputy General Counsel

Ethan Samson is the Chief Development Officer & Deputy General Counsel for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. He oversees the company’s new business initiatives and provides strategic input for the corporate and operations teams across a wide range of evolving legal and regulatory matters.

Ethan started his career with Lettuce as a Summer Intern while attending the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). After graduating with dual-degrees in Accounting and Finance. He earned his CPA and began working as a Staff Accountant for Lettuce. Ethan continued in this role while earning his JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law until graduating and being admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2010. He spent the next four years working as a Corporate Attorney specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions at Reed Smith LLP. Ethan rejoined Lettuce in the Legal Department in 2014.

Since his return, Ethan has played a key role in Lettuce’s growth by negotiating real estate agreements and financing sources for new projects in existing markets including Chicagoland, DC Metro and Las Vegas, as well as for the company’s entry into more recent and upcoming markets like Austin, Dallas, Orlando and Nashville. In 2016, Ethan played a key role in facilitating a transaction with Valor Equity Partners (Valor), a Chicago-based equity firm that partnered with Lettuce to grow the Wow Bao brand.

Ethan serves on the Board of Directors for both the Illinois Restaurant Association and the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services. He met his wife, Michaela, through their careers at Lettuce and loves when she tries new recipes at home. Ethan also enjoys golf, live music, trying new restaurants, rooting for the Bears, Blackhawks, and Cubs, and participating in his book club’s debates.