Steven Schussler
Encyclopedia
Steven Schussler is one of the world’s most successful developers of theme restaurants, whose greatest success is the Rainforest Cafe
. He is the author of It’s a Jungle in There, a book chronicling his experience building a businesses from scratch and providing advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.
.
, including plant growth, mist, waterfalls, animatronic robots of animal
s and insects. Large marine aquarium
s are common in most restaurants. Automated water sprinklers and synchronized lights set to specific patterns are also featured. A simulated thunderstorm
occurs every thirty minutes, utilizing simulated rain
as well as flashing lights and high-powered subwoofers for lightning and thunder. There is a tree usually located in the gift shops named Tracy that talks and gives information on rainforests. Also, the restaurants are partitioned into several rooms by means of rain curtains that fall into basins running along the tops of partition walls and booths. The Rainforest Cafe serves food ranging from seafood, beef, and chicken to pastas and pizzas, as well as its award winning crab dip. There is also the tradition
of yelling, "Volcano" when somebody orders a "volcano" sundae
.
The staff of Rainforest Cafe are named in accordance to the "Safari" theme. Servers are called Safari Guides, Hosts/Hostesses are Tour Guides, Retail Sales Associates are Pathfinders, Bartenders are Navigators, Bussers are Safari Assistants and kitchen staff are named Trailblazers.
The animatronic figures are manufactured by UCFab International, LLC of Apopka, Florida
, USA. The star ceilings are designed and manufactured by Fiber Optic Systems Inc, located in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Rainforest Cafe restaurants also have a Retail Village, rainforest themed merchandise is sold.
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's Restaurants, Inc. of Houston, Texas. It was founded by entrepreneur Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on February 3, 1994. In 1997, the chain consisted of only six restaurants,...
. He is the author of It’s a Jungle in There, a book chronicling his experience building a businesses from scratch and providing advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.
It’s A Jungle In There
In 2010 Schussler published It's a Jungle in There: Inspiring Lessons, Hard-Won Insights, and Other Acts of Entrepreneurial Daring, a book intended as inspiration to other entrepreneurs, and donated proceeds to Smile Network InternationalSmile Network International
Smile Network International is a Minnesota-based global non-profit, humanitarian organization that specializes in providing free surgeries for impoverished children in developing countries who are born with cleft lips and palates....
.
Rainforest Cafe
The restaurants are decorated to depict some features of a rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, including plant growth, mist, waterfalls, animatronic robots of animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s and insects. Large marine aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s are common in most restaurants. Automated water sprinklers and synchronized lights set to specific patterns are also featured. A simulated thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
occurs every thirty minutes, utilizing simulated rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
as well as flashing lights and high-powered subwoofers for lightning and thunder. There is a tree usually located in the gift shops named Tracy that talks and gives information on rainforests. Also, the restaurants are partitioned into several rooms by means of rain curtains that fall into basins running along the tops of partition walls and booths. The Rainforest Cafe serves food ranging from seafood, beef, and chicken to pastas and pizzas, as well as its award winning crab dip. There is also the tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
of yelling, "Volcano" when somebody orders a "volcano" sundae
Sundae
The sundae is an ice cream dessert. It typically consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup, and in some cases other toppings including chopped nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, or maraschino cherries.-History:...
.
The staff of Rainforest Cafe are named in accordance to the "Safari" theme. Servers are called Safari Guides, Hosts/Hostesses are Tour Guides, Retail Sales Associates are Pathfinders, Bartenders are Navigators, Bussers are Safari Assistants and kitchen staff are named Trailblazers.
The animatronic figures are manufactured by UCFab International, LLC of Apopka, Florida
Apopka, Florida
Apopka is a city located in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Apopka is an Indian word for “Potato...
, USA. The star ceilings are designed and manufactured by Fiber Optic Systems Inc, located in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Rainforest Cafe restaurants also have a Retail Village, rainforest themed merchandise is sold.