Janet Test Post

Maybe it's a stretch to consider Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises as an independent operator since it has 80 restaurants and $336 million in annual sales, but Rich Melman is definitely the quintessential entrepreneur and somebody who, in my opinion, is a positive example for any independent restaurateur reading this blog. When he wants to grow his Chicago-based empire, he's just as likely to think up a whole new restaurant concept than to build another unit of an existing brand he owns.

My first NRN 50 issue in 2006 was all about multiconcept operators, and the chief executives and founders of those companies all name-dropped Melman like he invented not only several restaurants, but the entire restaurant industry. Maybe he did. NRN is checking on this.