Geography-based themes are proven winners in the restaurant business, with the idea being to name your operation after a place that has a better climate and/or a more glamorous vibe than the one it's actually in. That's why you'll find operations...

When times are tough, creativity will save the day. And there may be no one more creative than Rich Melman, the genius behind Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a $100-million-plus Chicago company that has generated dozens of the country's best...

Is it a gamble selecting Rising Star chefs? Yeah, a bit. Most of those we select have not fully blossomed, yet they show a world of promise. But if we may toot our own horn, a large majority of those we've identified as Rising Stars over the last...

Michael Attias Dino Lambridis ALL EARS: Operators made the most of their time, sharing ideas and picking up pointers from Dave Magrogan and other experts. You've heard of speed dating. How about speed consulting? Once again, the Concepts...

Even though we know Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises owned Chicago's Nacional 27, it always seemed to be Randy Zweiban's place. He had been executive chef/partner there since the day it opened back in 1998, and was the creator of its innovative...

MUTUAL ADMIRATION: Concept creators Jeffrey Chodorow and Richard Melman swapped compliments. Photography Joe Glick NOT ALL BAD: "People are spending money," Howard Gordon noted. The U.S. economy may be tanking, and many operators may be...

Adam Eskin, 27, president and c.e.o., The Pump Energy Food, New York ...

Earlier This Year, Tavern on the Green, the sparkling jewel of New York City's Central Park, agreed to a $2.2 million settlement of a sexual and racial discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). ...

Michael Symon is all over the airwaves these days, taking on the latest Food Network Iron Chef challengers and whipping together meals on “Dinner: Impossible,” developing a cookbook and debuting Roast, his first venture in a hotel, an 8,000-square...

Chef Josiah Citrin's passionate and contemporary interpretation of French cuisine has won Mélisse two Michelin stars in the latest LA guide. Citrin's devotion to culinary mastery started early and contrasted sharply with his other early love...