WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kevin Brown, President and CEO of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.® (LEYE), will be the keynote speaker at the United Fresh 2016 Breakfast General Session on Wednesday, June 22 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
LEYE owns more than 100 restaurants with 51 different concepts ranging from fast casual to fine dining nationwide. Lettuce opened its first restaurant, R.J. Grunts, in 1971, a youthful and fun restaurant that positioned dining out as entertainment, not just a necessity. Since that time, the company has continued to grow, and now includes restaurants like Mon Ami Gabi, Wildfire, and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, RPM Italian, Three Dots and a Dash, Shaw’s Crab House and more.
“Kevin Brown is going to be an outstanding speaker to motivate and inspire our industry to grow the produce footprint throughout the restaurant industry,” said Tom Stenzel, President & CEO of United Fresh. “With more than three decades of navigating foodservice trends and changes, Kevin has developed strategies that truly engage consumers, and can help our industry seize future opportunities to grow our businesses together.”
A Pittsburgh native, Brown obtained his B.A. from Michigan State University and joined LEYE in 1977. He was the first candidate Rich Melman, founder of LEYE, interviewed on a college campus. In his early years, Brown held leadership positions at numerous Lettuce restaurants including The Pump Room and Un Grand Café, where in 1981 he was awarded his first partnership opportunity. He later developed some of Lettuce’s most popular restaurants, including Shaw’s Crab House, Mity Nice Bar & Grill and Big Bowl.
He brings more than 35 years of industry experience and leadership to LEYE and in his role, he is first and foremost a restauranteur, directing the ongoing innovation and development of new concepts, while strategically expanding and improving existing restaurants. His ultimate goal is to not only maintain and enhance Lettuce’s reputation and entrepreneurial spirit but to also provide a high level of hospitality and care to both guests in the restaurants and employees.
Brown is also active in the community serving as a trustee of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Advisory Board Member of the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State, and member of both the Illinois and National Restaurant Association.
The United Fresh 2016 Breakfast General Session will take place on Wednesday, June 22, from 7:30 a.m.– 8:45 a.m. at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. Participation in the session is available to those attendees who purchase the United Fresh All Access or Convention Packages.
Co-located with FMI Connect 2016, the International Floriculture Expo, and the new Global Cold Chain Expo, United Fresh 2016 will bring together retail, fresh produce, floral and cold chain leaders who are searching for unique products and looking to enhance relationships with valuable business partners. Registration is available at www.unitedfreshshow.org. Media are invited to attend but must pre-register by contacting Mary Coppola, Senior Director, Marketing Communications at 202.303.3425.
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About United Fresh Produce Association
Founded in 1904, the United Fresh Produce Association brings together companies across every segment of the fresh produce supply chain, including growers, shippers, fresh cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations. We empower industry leaders to shape sound government policy. We deliver the resources and expertise companies need to succeed in managing complex business and technical issues. We provide the training and development individuals need to advance their careers in produce. Through these endeavors, we unite our industry with a common purpose – to build long-term value for our members and grow produce consumption.
Source: United Fresh Produce Association