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Kevin Brown is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.® (LEYE). As President and CEO of Lettuce, Brown’s emphasis is on continuing the trend toward innovation and creation of new concepts that is one of the driving forces of the company. Brown also works with Chairman and Founder, Richard Melman, as well as other key members of the Lettuce senior management team to continue to grow and develop current concepts within the Lettuce group.
According to Brown, Great food, taking care of our guests, paired with growth opportunities with our existing concepts and new restaurant development, are my priorities in the years ahead. Lettuce is a great blend of entrepreneurial spirit with a strong and stable environment. When you put the right people with the right concepts you can create the excitement that has been Rich Melman’s standard at Lettuce and I am proud to help continue the culture of innovation and service that is Lettuce’s reputation.
Brown brings over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry to the position of President and CEO. Just after graduating from the Michigan State University Hotel and Restaurant School in 1977, Brown began his career at LEYE working at R.J. Grunts, the first Lettuce Entertain You restaurant. In his early years, at Lettuce, Brown also held positions such as manager at The Pump Room, the company's first fine dining concepts and assisted in the opening of Un Grand Café. He also worked to develop three of Lettuce's most popular restaurant concepts: Shaw's Crab House with locations in Chicago and in Schaumburg, The Mity Nice Grill in Water Tower Place and Vong’s Thai Kitchen .
Brown is fueled by a passion for creating new restaurant concepts. It was that drive that led Brown to develop and grow the highly successful Big Bowl, which opened May 1992 and followed by several additional stores in Chicago as well locations in Minnesota and Virginia. The concept was purchased in February 2001 by Brinker International and in March 2005, Brown and LEYE repurchased the concept. Now there are 8 Big Bowl locations managed and owned by LEYE.
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Brown has an active family life with his wife and four children with sporting activities and travel. He also enjoys trying new cuisines and foods, and staying active. | 