04/10 What's Cookin' Today
ROB LOWE - TALKING ABOUT HIS CAREER AND HIS LOVE OF CALIFORNIA
Rob Lowe is a film and television actor currently starring as “Chris
Traeger” in NBC’s Parks & Recreation. Prior to Parks & Recreation, Rob
starred on the ABC hit series Brothers & Sisters and the NBC drama The West
Wing. His performance in The West Wing garnered Lowe an Emmy nomination, as
well as two Golden Globe nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama
Series. He was nominated three times for the Screen Actors Guild award,
winning twice. Lowe has also appeared in a slew of feature films, including
The Outsiders, St. Elmo’s Fire, Wayne’s World, Tommy Boy, Austin Powers: The
Spy Who Shagged Me and Thank You for Smoking. In Spring of 2011 Rob Lowe
added author to his credits with the release of his very first memoir
Stories I Only Tell my Friend: An Autobiography. Rob, his wife and their
two sons currently reside in Santa Barbara, California. Rob himself has been
living in California for more than 35 years because of the wealth of
opportunities it has afforded him professionally and personally. As such, he
is currently working with Visit California as its Official ‘Unofficial’
California Tour Guide. Visit
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/Life-in-California/Rob-Lowe/ to discover Rob’
s own insider tips to his favorite California family attractions, romantic
getaways, outdoor adventures, restaurants, and his bucket list of things he
still wants to do. Rob Lowe has been entertaining America for years as a
beloved movie and television actor. His passion for acting is a big part of
his life, but Rob is also a father and a husband who has a vast array of
interests from surfing, golfing, and skiing to music and the environment.
Rob is grateful that he’s able to pursue all of his passions in his adopted
home state of California. It is the abundance and diversity of experiences
that has kept him in California for more than 35 years! Rob is one of
California’s ultimate insiders; so much so that Visit California, the
non-profit organization that promotes California as a premier travel
destination, has named him its “Official ‘Unofficial’ California Tour
Guide”. And he wants to share his love for the state with you!
HE IS ALSO ONE OF "THE SMITH BROTHERS"
During the early '80s, the Smiths managed several restaurants for others
before opening their acclaimed Parkway Grill in 1984. Subsequent fine-dining
concepts developed by the Smith brothers included the Arroyo Chop House,
opened in 1997; and Ducz, a cutting-edge Asian fusion restaurant, which
debuted in 2001. Ducz was critically acclaimed but ahead of its time with
the Pasadena public. It was replaced the following year with Smitty's Grill,
a moderately priced tribute to American comfort food that has become one of
the area's most popular restaurants. The first Crocodile Cafe, an innovative
casual concept for California cuisine, opened on Pasadena's Lake Avenue in
1987, and in Summer 2009 transitioned to Cafe 140 South. In 2003, the Smith
brothers teamed with jazz great Herb Alpert to open Vibrato Grill
Jazz...etc., in Bel-Air, which combined contemporary dining concepts with a
state-of-the-art performance venue. 2008 saw the debut in Old Pasadena of
Spitfire Saloon, which was re-opened as Cheval Blanc Bistro in late 2009
GREG DOLLARHYDE - CEO "VEGGIE GRILL"
States, having had hands-on responsibility for all major aspects of that
business during his career. He has been Chairman or Chief Executive
Officer of seven separate restaurant companies and Chief Financial
Officer of two publicly-held restaurant companies, among other
responsibilities. Currently, Dollarhyde is Chief Executive Officer of The
Veggie Grill, a seven store chain of premium, plant-based, fast-casual
restaurants based in Los Angeles, CA. Founded in 2006 by Kevin Boylan and
T.K. Pillan, Veggie Grill is reshaping the way people eat, talk, and think
about American comfort food. Prior to his current endeavor, Greg was the
CEO of Zoes Kitchen, a 45 store, fast-casual restaurant chain located in
Birmingham, AL and acquired in 2007 with partner Brentwood Associates. He
remains Executive Chairman of the company. Dollarhyde is also the Executive
Chairman of the board of directors of Pacific Island Restaurants, Inc., a
chain of 89 Pizza Hut and Taco Bell locations in Hawaii and Guam, which were
acquired with Brentwood Associates through a successful LBO. Before these
investments, Dollarhyde was the President and Chief Executive Officer of
Fresh Enterprises, Inc., the holding company of Baja Fresh, a rapid growth,
fast-casual Mexican food chain headquartered in Southern California.
Dollarhyde, in partnership with Catterton Partners and Oak Investors,
purchased the company in 1998 and, after accelerated growth exceeding 40%
CAGR, sold the company to Wendy’s International in July 2002 for $275
million; more than seven times their original investment. Pursuing other
entrepreneurial ventures, Dollarhyde was lead investor and ex-Chairman of
the Board of Riot Games, Inc., an early stage, MMORPG video game development
company that was recently acquired by a large, China-based holding company.
He also was a founding principal of B Cellars, an emerging winery
specializing in Napa Valley appellation blends. Additionally, Dollarhyde is
a private investor and liaison to private equity funds seeking investments
in the restaurant and service retail sectors. Dollarhyde has been an
alumnus of restaurant concepts that are household names such as TGI Fridays
(CFO, Initial Public Offering in 1983), Pizza Hut (VP & GM New Concepts,
VP Acquisitions), and Kenny Roger’s Roasters (Exec. VP & Vice Chairman).
Additionally, he has led regional favorites Rusty Pelican Restaurants (CEO
1990 and CFO 1987, Southern California) and Country Harvest Buffets (CEO
1995, Seattle), stewarding the sale of both of these companies to industry
competitors. Dollarhyde is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of
Hotel Administration (BS with Distinction ‘80) and The Johnson School of
Business (MBA ‘81). He currently resides outside of Los Angeles,
California.
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