Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Encyclopedia
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) is a group of approximately 70 restaurants founded by Rich Melman
and Jerry A. Orzoff in Chicago, IL in 1971.
The first restaurant was R.J. Grunts in Lincoln Park
, opened on June 10, 1971.
The company lists nine original partners: Bill Higgins, Melman, Bill Frost, Bob Wattel, Danny Coval, Charles Haskell, Orzoff, Marvin Magid, and Fred Joast. By 1976 the company had 5 restaurants. The partners continued expanding the company's network of restaurants. By the mid-1980s, the company employed over 2,000 people and had annual revenues of $40 million. Since its founding the company has opened 130 restaurants, with 70 concepts.
The restaurants are unique and vary in price, theme, and cuisine. However, they generally combine theatrical flair and good value. LEYE currently owns, licenses or manages more than 60 establishments in Illinois, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Minnesota and Nevada, including Wildfire, Petterino's, Dipescara, Shaw's Crab House, and Everest. Also among its creations are two restaurants in the Paris Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, Eiffel Tower and Mon Ami Gabi (an expansion of the flagship location in Chicago), Big Bowl, and L2O. The newest, opened in spring 2011, is Tokio Pub in Schaumburg, Illinois
.
As of 2000, LEYE had 38 partners, 45 concepts, and 4,000 employees It owns, operates and licenses 75 restaurant venues, in the United States and Japan. It has separate restaurant consulting and restaurant development companies. The food court at Water Tower Place
is among its operations. 1999 annual revenue estimates ranged from $145 to over $200 million. 2005 revenue estimates were $300 million, with 5000 employees and approximately $50 million in net earnings.
Rich Melman
Rich Melman is the founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a privately held restaurant company with more than 70 venues. Melman serves as Chairman of the Board of LEYE. He creates restaurant concepts. As such he is a corporate executive who sees himself as an artist.In 1971, Melman and...
and Jerry A. Orzoff in Chicago, IL in 1971.
History
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
, opened on June 10, 1971.
The company lists nine original partners: Bill Higgins, Melman, Bill Frost, Bob Wattel, Danny Coval, Charles Haskell, Orzoff, Marvin Magid, and Fred Joast. By 1976 the company had 5 restaurants. The partners continued expanding the company's network of restaurants. By the mid-1980s, the company employed over 2,000 people and had annual revenues of $40 million. Since its founding the company has opened 130 restaurants, with 70 concepts.
The restaurants are unique and vary in price, theme, and cuisine. However, they generally combine theatrical flair and good value. LEYE currently owns, licenses or manages more than 60 establishments in Illinois, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Minnesota and Nevada, including Wildfire, Petterino's, Dipescara, Shaw's Crab House, and Everest. Also among its creations are two restaurants in the Paris Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, Eiffel Tower and Mon Ami Gabi (an expansion of the flagship location in Chicago), Big Bowl, and L2O. The newest, opened in spring 2011, is Tokio Pub in Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
.
As of 2000, LEYE had 38 partners, 45 concepts, and 4,000 employees It owns, operates and licenses 75 restaurant venues, in the United States and Japan. It has separate restaurant consulting and restaurant development companies. The food court at Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a shopping mall and 74 story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The complex is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Magnificent Mile. It is named after the nearby Chicago Water Tower...
is among its operations. 1999 annual revenue estimates ranged from $145 to over $200 million. 2005 revenue estimates were $300 million, with 5000 employees and approximately $50 million in net earnings.
Restaurants
Lettuce Entertain You restaurants include:- Antico Posto
- Ben Pao
- Big Bowl
- Big Bowl Chinese Express
- Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
- Di Pescara
- Don & Charlie’s
- Eiffel Tower
- El Segundo Sol
- Everest
- Foodlife
- Frankie's Pizzeria & Scaloppine
- Hub 51
- Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab - an offshoot of Joe's Stone CrabJoe's Stone CrabJoe's Stone Crab, also known as Joe's Stone Crabs, is an American restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida. The restaurant was opened in 1918, by Joe Weiss, who began his Miami Beach career by cooking at Smith's Casino beginning in 1913....
in Miami - Krispy KremeKrispy KremeKrispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
(franchisee) - L2O
- L. Woods http://www.lwoodsrestaurant.com/
- Maggiano's Little ItalyMaggiano's Little ItalyMaggiano's Little Italy is an Italian-style chain of casual dining restaurants with locations throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Northern Ireland founded in Chicago's River North neighborhood in 1991 by Richard Melman's Lettuce Entertain You and named for Melman's late partner,...
(consultant) - Magic Pan Crepe StandMagic PanThe Magic Pan was an American chain of full-service restaurants specializing in crêpes, popular in the late 1970s through early 1990s.-History:...
- M Burger
- M Street Kitchen
- Mity Nice Grill
- Mon Ami Gabi
- Nacional 27
- Osteria Via Stato
- Paris Club
- Petterino’s
- Pizzeria Via Stato
- Reel Club
- R.J. Grunt's
- Scoozi!
- Stella Rossa Pizza Bar
- Shaw’s Crab House
- Stripburger
- Tokio Pub
- Tru
- Tucci Benucch
- Twin City Grill
- Wildfire
- Wow Bao