This is a list of restaurateurs. A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs

restaurants A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.

Restaurateurs

Gastón Acurio Gastón Acurio Jaramillo (born October 30, 1967) is a Peruvian chef and ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. He owns several restaurants in various countries, and is the author of several books. In Peru, he is the host of a television program and ...

* Pius Alibek Hermez *

Alex Atala Milad Alexandre Mack Atala (born June 3, 1968) is a Brazilian chef of Irish and Palestinian ancestry, who runs the restaurant D.O.M. (Latin abbreviation of ''Deo optimo maximo'') in São Paulo. In May 2012, D.O.M. was rated the 4th best restaura ...

* Askar Baitassov *

Eddie Blay Edward "Eddie" Blay (9 November 1937 – 15 October 2006) was a Ghanaian boxer. He competed at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the light welterweight (63.5 kg) category in 1964. Blay was a two-time Commonwealth Games ...

* Marcel Boulestin * Norman E. Brinker *

Ion Luca Caragiale Ion Luca Caragiale (; commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179-184 – 9 June 1912) was a Romanian playw ...

Engracia Cruz-Reyes Engracia Cruz-Reyes (April 16, 1892 — July 6, 1975) was a Filipino chef and entrepreneur. She was an active promoter of Filipino cuisine, especially through the restaurant chain she founded, The Aristocrat. Early life She was born to a poor ...

* Teun van Dijck *

Gato Dumas Gato Dumas (July 20, 1938 – May 14, 2004) was an Argentine chef and restaurateur. He is considered by many the greatest chef in Argentina. He is also the founder of the largest culinary school in Latin America, the Gato Dumas Institute (Institut ...

Robert Earl Robert Earl (born 29 May 1951) is an English-American businessman who is the founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood, Chairman of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and host of ''Robert Earl's Be My Guest'' television program whic ...

Guy Fieri Guy Ramsay Fieri (, ; ''né'' Ferry; born January 22, 1968) is an American restaurateur, author, and an Emmy Award winning television presenter. He co-owns three restaurants in California, licenses his name to restaurants in New York City, Las ...

Will Guidara William Guidara (born 1979) is an American restaurateur based in New York City. Along with chef Daniel Humm, Guidara co-owned the Make It Nice hospitality group, established in 2011, which owns and operates Eleven Madison Park, NoMad New York, N ...

Károly Gundel Károly Gundel (; 23 September 1883 – 28 November 1956) was a Hungarian restaurateur, business magnate, philanthropist, writer of culinary works and the former owner of the Gundel Restaurant. Family Károly Gundel was born on 23 Septembe ...

* Juan José Gutiérrez *

Ching Hai Ching Hai (born Trịnh Đăng Huệ;Vietnamese name consisting of three parts in the following order: a family name, a middle name and a given name. 12 May 1950), commonly referred to as ''Suma'' or '' Supreme Master Ching Hai ( Chinese: 清海� ...

* Leopold Hawelka * Jean-Pierre Koepp *

Jimmy Lahoud Jimmy Lahoud (born June 1949) is a Lebanese businessman and restaurateur in London, England. He has owned restaurants such as Quo Vadis, L'Escargot, and Café St. Pierre (which became Maison Novelli). Lahoud is an art collector, displaying hi ...

* Brian McKenna *

Georges Mora Georges Mora (26 June 1913 – 7 June 1992) was a German-born Australian entrepreneur, art dealer, patron, connoisseur and restaurateur. Early life Mora was born Gunter Morawski on 26 June 1913 in Leipzig, Germany, of Jewish Polish heritage ...

Ken Oringer Ken Oringer (born 1965 in Paramus, New Jersey) is a Boston-based chef who is a business partner of Jamie Bissonnette. Education Oringer studied restaurant management at Bryant College in Rhode Island (class of 1987) followed by a degree from the Cu ...

Ioan Gyuri Pascu Ioan Gyuri Pascu (; also credited as Ioan Ghiurico Pascu, Gyuri Pascu, and Ghyuri Pascu; August 31, 1961 – September 26, 2016) was a Romanian pop music singer, producer, actor, and comedian, also known for his participation in the comedy grou ...

Jacky Robert Jacky Robert (born 13 September 1950) is an American chef who helped to create fusion cuisine in the 1980s. He is the cofounder, with Martha Castano, of the non-profit OnBoardForKids.Org Early years Born in Granville, Manche, France, Robert bega ...

Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Co ...

* Wilhelmina Skogh * Eduardo Sousa * Stephen Starr * Jean-Philippe Susilovic *

Chin-hui Tsao Chin-Hui Tsao (; born June 2, 1981) is a Taiwanese former professional baseball pitcher. He is the second major league player, and the first major league pitcher from Taiwan. Like the first Taiwanese major league player, former Los Angeles Dodg ...

Oscar Tschirky Oscar Tschirky (1866 – November 6, 1950) was a Swiss-American restaurateur who was maître d'hôtel of Delmonico's Restaurant and subsequently the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York, United States. He was widely known as "Oscar of the ...

* Mór Ungerleider *

Virgilio Martínez Véliz Virgilio Martínez Véliz (born August 31, 1977) is a Peruvian chef and restaurateur. He is considered one of the new generation of Peruvian chefs promoting the spread of Peruvian cuisine. He is known for his use of applying modern cooking techniq ...

Cajsa Wahllund Catharina Christina "Cajsa" Wahllund (1 May 1771, Värmland, Sweden – 13 July 1843, Helsinki) was a Swedish-born Finnish restaurateur. Wahllund moved from Sweden to Finland in 1810. She was the successful owner of a popular inn and restaurant ...

By nationality

Australia

* George Calombaris * Andrew Cibej * Pete Evans * Manu Feildel *

Shanaka Fernando Shanaka Fernando (born 1968) is a Sri Lankan-born Australian restaurateur and self-described "social challenger", best known for his founding of the pay what you can chain of restaurants in Melbourne known as "Lentil as Anything". Early life S ...

* Michelle Garnaut * Guy Grossi *

Peter Kuruvita Peter Kuruvita (born October 1963) is an Australian chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his rich culturally inspired cooking, highly influenced by his Sri Lankan father and Austrian mother. Early life Born in 1963 in Fulham, to a ...

* Karen Martini *

Gary Mehigan Gary Mehigan (born 12 February 1967) is an English-Australian chef and restaurateur. Mehigan was one of the original judges of the Network 10 series '' MasterChef Australia''. Career Chef Mehigan trained at The Connaught and Le Souffle in ...

* Matt Moran *

Mietta O'Donnell Mietta O'Donnell (6 January 19504 January 2001) was a Melbourne-based Australian restaurateur, chef and food writer, described in her later years as Australia's leading culinary publisher and critic. She was also a noted arts and music patro ...

* Rocco Pantaleo *

Tetsuya Wakuda (born 18 June 1959) is a Japanese-born Australian chef based in Sydney. He appeared as the leading judge in the final episode of the second season of '' Junior MasterChef Australia''. Background Early life Tetsuya Wakuda was born on June 18, ...

* Samuel Wynn * Yip Ho Nung * Gum Yuen

Austria

* Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bahrain

Tala Bashmi Tala Bashmi ( ar, تاله بشمي; born 1988 or 1989) is a Bahraini chef and restaurateur. Since 2017, she has been chef patron of Fusions by Tala, a restaurant within the Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa in Manama. She has also appeared on ...

Brazil

Robert Falkenburg Robert Falkenburg (January 29, 1926 – January 6, 2022) was an American amateur tennis player and entrepreneur. He is best known for winning the Men's Singles at the 1948 Wimbledon Championships and for introducing soft ice cream and American ...

Canada

Hugh Acheson Hugh Acheson (born November 5, 1971) is a Canadian-born chef and restaurateur. He owns four restaurants in Georgia, and serves as a judge on the reality cooking competition show ''Top Chef'', and as an Iron Chef on Iron Chef Canada. Early life ...

Shereen Arazm Shereen Arazm Koules (born 1972) is a Canadian restaurateur, nightclub owner, and television personality who lives in Los Angeles. She was also the "resident" judge on the highly rated television series, ''Top Chef Canada'' for four seasons and ...

Sean Avery Sean Christopher Avery (born April 10, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his career in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played left wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Da ...

* Nat Bailey * Joe Beef * Massimo Capra *

Maggie Cassella Maggie Cassella is an American-Canadian actress, comedian and writer, best known for hosting the Canadian television talk show '' Because I Said So'' and founding the ''We're Funny That Way!'' comedy festival. Biography Cassella's double degree ...

Christy Chung use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place = ...

Lynn Crawford Lynn Crawford (born July 18, 1964) is a Canadian chef and television personality. She is known for her appearances on the Food Network show ''Restaurant Makeover'', which is seen in over 16 countries worldwide. Biography Lynn Crawford was bo ...

Meeru Dhalwala Meeru Dhalwala is an author, chef and co-owner, with her ex-husband Vikram Vij, of the Indian restaurants Vij's and Rangoli in Vancouver, British Columbia.

* Danica d'Hondt * Stefano Faita *

Rob Feenie Robert Feenie is a Canadian chef based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Culinary career His interest in cooking began during a high school exchange program in Europe. He attended Dubrulle Culinary Institute (now part of The Art Institute of V ...

* Ryan Gosling *

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

* Ryan Holmes * Hector Jimenez-Bravo * Harry Kambolis *

Jamie Kennedy James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the ''Scream'' franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in '' The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' (2002–2004) on The WB. His oth ...

* Susur Lee * Brad Long *

Mark McEwan Mark McEwan is an American-born Canadian celebrity chef based in Toronto, Ontario. He was head judge on Food Network Canada's ''Top Chef Canada''. McEwan had his own television show on Food Network Canada entitled ''The Heat'', which followed h ...

* Robert J. Patterson *

Duke Redbird Dr.Duke Redbird (born 1939) is an Indigenous Canadian poet, journalist, activist, businessman, actor and administrator, best known as a key figure in the development of First Nations literature in Canada. An Ojibwe from the Saugeen First Nation i ...

Tim Rozon Timothy James Rozon (born June 4, 1976) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles as Tommy Quincy on the CTV teen drama ''Instant Star'', Mutt Schitt in the CBC comedy '' Schitt's Creek'', Doc Holliday on the supernatural/western drama ...

* Joey Ghazal *

Guy Rubino ''Made to Order'' is a Canadian lifestyle show airing in more than 150 countries, including the Food Network and Fine Living in Canada, Fine Living in the US, Discovery Travel, and Living in Asia, Australia, India and South America. It features th ...

* Michael Smith * Marc Thuet *

Vikram Vij Vikram Vij (born 1964)Vikram Vij of Vij's - Biography Vancouver, BC
s ...

Stephen Yan Stephen Yan (born in Hong Kong) is a Canadian television host. He hosted the Canadian television cooking show for CBC Television, '' Wok with Yan''. The Vancouver-based chef moved to Canada in the 1960s and owned two Chinese restaurants in Vancou ...

Zal Yanovsky Zalman Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 – December 13, 2002) was a Canadian folk-rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky (née Gemeril), who died in 1958. He played lead guit ...

Maurice Zbriger Maurice Zbriger (July 10, 1896, Kamenets-Podolskiy, Ukraine – April 5, 1981, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a Canadian violinist, composer and conductor. He began learning violin as a child, and continued his studies at the conservatory in St. Pet ...

Denmark

* Silla Bjerrum * Jan Friis-Mikkelsen * Sven and Lene Grønlykke *

Rasmus Kofoed Rasmus Kofoed (born 1974) is a Danish chef and restaurateur who won the gold medal at the 2011 Bocuse d'Or, after previously taking the bronze medal in 2005 and the silver medal in 2007 in the same competition. He is the head chef and co-owner ...

Claus Meyer Claus Meyer (born 27 December 1963) is a Danish entrepreneur, cook and television host. He is often accredited as the founder of the New Nordic Cuisine philosophy. Projects Claus Meyer has been engaged in a plethora of projects and has been ...

* Adam Price *

René Redzepi René Redzepi (born 16 December 1977) is a Danish chef and co-owner of the three-Michelin star restaurant Noma in the Christianshavn neighborhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. His restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the world by '' Resta ...

* Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong

El Salvador

* Graciela de Holman

France

* Antoine Beauvilliers *

Louis Bignon Louis Bignon (26 June 1816 – 18 May 1906) was a famous French chef whose Café Riche became the most fashionable in Paris. He was also a noted agriculturalist, won prizes for his products and was awarded the Legion of Honour. Early years Louis ...

* Georges Blanc *

Raymond Blanc Raymond Blanc OBE (born 19 November 1949) is a French chef. Blanc is the chef patron at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, a hotel-restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scored 9/10 in the '' Good ...

Paul Bocuse Paul Bocuse (; 11 February 1926 – 20 January 2018) was a French chef based in Lyon who was known for the high quality of his restaurants and his innovative approaches to cuisine. A student of Eugénie Brazier, he was one of the most prominent ...

* Joël Dupuch * Stéphane Froidevaux *

Jean Galatoire Jean Galatoire was born in a small village near Pau, France. Galatoire immigrated to America in 1880 where he bought an inn and a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1896 he moved to New Orleans and opened up a café. In 1905 Jean Galatoire boug ...

* Jacques Genin *

Michel Guérard Michel Guérard (; born 27 March 1933) is a French chef, author, one of the founders of ''nouvelle cuisine'', and the inventor of ''cuisine minceur''. Early life and education Michel Guérard was born in 1933 in the Paris suburb of Vétheuil. At ...

Jean Joho Jean Joho is a French-American chef and restaurateur. He was chef and proprietor of ''Everest'' in Chicago (founded in 1986, closed 2020), Paris Club Bistro & Bar and Studio Paris in Chicago, The Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Las Vegas, and Brasser ...

* Ludo Lefebvre *

Édouard Loubet Édouard Loubet (born 25 September 1970 in Val-Thorens, Savoy) is a French master chef with 2 stars in the Michelin Guide. He obtained the grade of 18/20 from the Gault et Millau book, which elected him chef of the year in 2011. Biography Loube ...

* Sébastien Masi * Michel Michaud *

Jean-Christophe Novelli Jean-Christophe Novelli (; born 22 February 1961) is a French celebrity chef. Early life Novelli was born in Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France, in 1961. He left school at 14 and worked in a bakery before, at the age ...

* Claude Philippe *

Thierry Rautureau Thierry Rautureau, nicknamed "The Chef In The Hat", is a Seattle, Washington celebrity chef and the chef/owner of several former restaurants, including Loulay and Luc. He is now "semi-retired", following his restaurants' difficulties with the COVID ...

* Stéphane Reynaud *

Kilien Stengel Kilien Stengel (born 1972 in Nevers (Nièvre)), is a French gastronomic author, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He has worked at Gidleigh Park, Nikko Hotels, Georges V Hotel in Paris, and in a number of Relais & Châteaux restaurants (incl ...

* Jean Sulpice *

Pierre Troisgros Pierre Troisgros (3 September 1928 – 23 September 2020) was a French chef and restaurateur, best known for his restaurant Frères Troisgros. Pierre Troisgros and his brother continued their father's restaurant Hôtel Moderne, where they inven ...

Roger Vergé Roger Vergé (, 7 April 1930 – 5 June 2015) was a French chef and restaurateur. He is considered one of the greatest chefs of his time. The Gault Millau described him as "the very incarnation of the great French chef for foreigners". Personal ...

Germany

Lorenz Adlon Lorenz Adlon (; 29 May 1849 – 7 April 1921) was a German caterer, gastronomer and hotelier. Early life Lorenz Adlon (baptized Laurenz) was born in Mainz as Laurenz, the sixth out of nine children of a Catholic shoemaker, Jacob Adlon, and his wif ...

Eitel Brothers The Eitel Brothers refers to a family of four brothers, Emil, Karl, Robert and Max Eitel, originating from Stuttgart in Germany who, from 1894, were hoteliers and restaurateurs in Chicago, USA. They were well known for the luxury hotel Bismarck Ho ...

* Vincent Klink * Silvio Kuhnert * Paul Merker *

Kadir Nurman Kadir Nurman (c.1933 – 24 October 2013)
n-tv.de, 26 October 2013 was a Turkish ...

Hong Kong

* Vicky Lau

India

Riyaaz Amlani Riyaaz Amlani (born 20 November 1974) is an Indian restaurateur. He is the CEO of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd. He is also the president of National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). References External linksImpresario ...

Ritu Dalmia Ritu Dalmia (born 1973) is an Indian celebrity chef and restaurateur. She is the chef and co-owner of the popular Italian restaurant Diva in Delhi, which she established in 2000, with co-founder Gita Bhalla under partnership firm "Riga Food". O ...

* Ketan Kadam * Prahlad Kakkar * J.K. Kapur * Farrokh Khambata * Kumar Mahadevan * Manish Makhija * P. Rajagopal * Vivek Singh * Cyrus Todiwala *

Nelson Wang Nelson Wang (born 1950) is an Indian restaurateur of Chinese descent and the founder of China Garden, a restaurant, in Mumbai's Kemps Corner neighborhood. Various sources credit him with the invention of the popular Indian/Chinese dish "Chick ...

Italy

* Emilio Baglioni *

Massimo Bottura Massimo Bottura (; born 30 September 1962) is an Italian restaurateur and the chef patron of Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label= Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is ...

Salvatore Cuomo Salvatore Shigeta (born Salvatore Cuomo) is an Italian-born Japanese celebrity chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows and cookbooks, and his restaurants across Asia. He is known in Japan as "The ...

* Toni Dalli * Pino Luongo * Sirio Maccioni * Modesto Marini * Lucia Pavin Massimo Dobrovic

Japan

Hiroaki Aoki Hiroaki is a masculine Japanese given name. It can be written in many ways. In the following lists, the kanji in parentheses are the individual's way of writing the name Hiroaki. Possible writings *(written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ...

* Toshiro Kandagawa * Yoshihiro Narisawa * Nui Onoue

Lithuania

* Linas Tadas Karosas * Tadas Karosas

Mexico

* Cesar Balsa *

Caesar Cardini Cesare Cardini (also known as Caesar Cardini, February 24, 1896 – November 3, 1956) was an Italian restaurateur, chef, and hotel owner who, along with his brother Alex Cardini (November 23, 1899 – December 22, 1974), is credited with ...

Eduardo Santamarina Eduardo Hernández García Santamarina (; born 9 July 1969) is a Mexican film, theater, and television actor who is known for his leading roles in many telenovelas. Beside Televisa telenovelas, Santamarina appeared in some Telemundo telenovelas. ...

New Zealand

* Des Britten * Vernon Lawrence Clare * Stanley Nicholas Garland * Jack Macdonald

Nigeria

Bolanle Austen-Peters Bolanle Austen-Peters (born 4 February 1969), is a Nigerian movie director, theater producer and cultural entrepreneur. She is the founder and artistic director of BAP Productions and the arts and culture center Terra Kulture in Lagos. She has b ...

Muma Gee Gift Iyumame Eke (née Uwame; born 18 November 1978), professionally known as Muma Gee (), meaning "do good Gift", is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, fashion designer, television personality and politician. She was born, ...

Kehinde Kamson Kehinde Kamson (born 14 August 1961 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist. She works in the fast food and business sectors in Nigeria. She is best known as the Founder and CEO of Sweet Sensation Confecti ...

Nike Oshinowo Nike Oshinowo (born Adenike Asabi Oshinowo, 1966) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, former pageant director, talk show host, and style icon. Early life and pageants Oshinowo was raised in Ibadan and England, where she attended boarding school. Althoug ...

Norway

* Ole Jonny Eikefjord * Julius Fritzner *

Eyvind Hellstrøm Eyvind Hellstrøm (born 2 December 1948) is a Norwegian chef and formerly the part owner of Bagatelle restaurant, a two- Michelin-starred restaurant in the city of Oslo. He was the president of the 2008 Bocuse d'Or Europe, is frequently a judge a ...

* Kari Innerå * Einar Rose *

Christen Sveaas Christen Sveaas (born 18 June 1956) is a Norwegian businessman, investor, art collector and donor. He is the founder and sole owner of Kistefos AS, vice chairman of the board of the Kistefos Museum and chairman of the board of Anders Sveaas Allmenny ...

Pakistan

Zubaida Tariq Zubaida Tariq ( ur, ; 4 April 1942– 4 January 2018), also commonly known as Zubaida Aapa, was a Pakistani chef, herbalist, and cooking expert. She was the first celebrity cook of Pakistan, appearing on numerous TV shows, and was also known ...

Russia

* Anatoly Komm

Spain

* Cesar Balsa

Sweden

* Gustafva Björklund * Niklas Ekstedt *

Carl Jan Granqvist Carl Jan Erik Granqvist (born 22 March 1946), is a Swedish restaurateur, food and wine connoisseur and television personality, as well as professor in the art of food at the ''Norsk hotellhøgskole'' in Stavanger, which is part of the Universi ...

Marcus Samuelsson 25 January 1971) is an Ethiopian-born Swedish-American celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is the head chef of Red Rooster in Harlem, New York. Early life and education Kassahun Joar Tsegie was born in Ethiopia. His fa ...

Thailand

* Gaggan

Turkey

Hüseyin Özer Hüseyin Özer (born 1949 in Reşadiye, Tokat Province, Turkey) is a Turkish British executive chef and restaurateur, who owns a restaurant chain based in London. Early life Hüseyin Özer was born in 1949, in a village of Reşadiye town in T ...

* Nusret Gökçe

United Kingdom

* Muquim Ahmed *

Enam Ali Enam Ali (; 1 December 1960 – 17 July 2022) was a Bangladeshi-born British businessman who founded The British Curry Awards, ''Spice Business Magazine'', and ''Ion TV''. Early life Ali was born in Sylhet District, East Pakistan (now Banglad ...

* Kaniz Ali * Siraj Ali * Jamie Barber * Aldo Berni * Frank Berni *

Mark Birley Marcus Oswald Hornby Lecky Birley (29 May 1930 – 24 August 2007), known as Mark Birley, was a British entrepreneur known for his investments in the hospitality industry. Early life Mark Birley was the son of Sir Oswald Birley (1880–1952), ...

Peter Boizot Peter James Boizot MBE (; 16 November 1929 – 5 December 2018) was an English entrepreneur, restaurateur, politician, art collector and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of PizzaExpress. Early years The son of Gaston and Su ...

* Vito Cataffo * Foysol Choudhury * Peter Evans *

John Maria Gatti Sir John Maria Emilio Gatti (13 August 1872 – 14 September 1929) was an Anglo- Swiss theatre manager, restaurateur and businessman who was also a prominent Conservative politician in London local government. Born as Joannes Maria Aemilius Gatti ...

* Rose Gray * Nick Jones * Omar Khan * Joel Kissin *

Atul Kochhar Atul Kochhar (born 31 August 1969) is an Indian-born, British-based chef and television personality. Kochhar was one of the first two Indian chefs to receive a Michelin star, awarded in London in 2001 whilst at Tamarind. He opened his own resta ...

* Abdul Latif * Alvin Leung *

Magnus Lindgren Magnus Lindgren (born 13 August 1974 in Västerås, Sweden) is a Swedish jazz musician. He studied at the Västerås Music College. He then attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, and began working with the Soul Ente ...

* Simon Loftus * Tommy Miah * David Moore *

Timothy Moxon Timothy Napier Moxon (2 June 1924 – 5 December 2006) was an English-born actor, pilot and restaurateur who is probably best known for playing John Strangways, the character who uttered the first dialogue in the first James Bond film '' Dr. No'', ...

* Alan Murchison *

* Claude Philippe * Gordon Ramsay * Bajloor Rashid *

Mandy Rice-Davies Marilyn Rice-Davies (21 October 1944 – 18 December 2014) was a Welsh model and showgirl best known for her association with Christine Keeler and her role in the Profumo affair, which discredited the Conservative government of British Prime Mi ...

Egon Ronay Egon Miklos Ronay (24 July 1915 – 12 June 2010) was a Hungarian-born food critic who wrote and published a famous series of guides to British and Irish restaurants and hotels in the 1950s and 1960s. These guidebooks are credited with raisin ...

* Mohammed Sabir *

Siegi Sessler Siegi Sessler (9 September 1910 – 1 April 1969) was a prominent London restaurateur and club owner in the mid-20th century. He started club life after the Second World War, and opened Siegi's Club in 1950 at 46 Charles Street in London's Mayfair ...

Lisa Vanderpump Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

Iqbal Wahhab Iqbal Wahhab, OBE ( bn, ইকবাল ওয়াহাব; born 22 August 1963) is a Bangladeshi-born British businessman. He is the founder of '' Tandoori Magazine'', and restaurants The Cinnamon Club and Roast. Background and career Wahh ...

Marco Pierre White Marco Pierre White (born 11 December 1961) is a British chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He has been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" and the ''enfant terrible'' of the UK restaurant scene. In January 1995, aged 33, White became ...

Sarah Willingham Sarah Louise Willingham (born 21 December 1973) is a British entrepreneur, serial investor, founder and CEO of Nightcap PLC, with extensive experience in the hospitality industry. Education Willingham has two business degrees from Oxford Brooke ...

* Simon Wright * Alan Yau

England

Jill Adams Jill Adams (22 July 1930 – 13 May 2008) was an English actress, artist and fashion model. She featured or starred in over 25 films during the 1950s and 1960s. Life Jill Adams was born Jill Siggins in London in 1930, the daughter of the sil ...

* Amjad Bashir * Walter Baxter * Aiden Byrne *

Lee Chapman Lee Roy Chapman (born 5 December 1959) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker from 1978 until 1996, in which he scored over 200 first team goals. He is best known for spells with Stoke City, Leeds United, She ...

* Atique Choudhury *

Terence Conran Sir Terence Orby Conran (4 October 1931 – 12 September 2020) was an English designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer. He founded the Design Museum in Shad Thames, London in 1989 The British designer Thomas Heatherwick said that Conran ...

Keith Floyd Keith Floyd (28 December 1943 – 14 September 2009) was a British celebrity cook, restaurateur, television personality and "gastronaut" who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel. On televi ...

* Jeff Galvin *

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

Aktar Islam Aktar Islam (born 1980) is a multiple award-winning British Michelin starred chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur. He left the Lasan Group in 2016 to work on his new, flagship project, Opheem and launched his new Italian restaurant, Legna in win ...

Disley Jones Clifford Disley Jones (15 January 19264 June 2005) was an English stage and film designer. Life Jones was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and left his private school after the failure of his father's timber business. He began work as a ...

Keith McNally Keith McNally (born 1951) is a British-born New York City restaurateur, the owner of several establishments including Parisian brasserie Balthazar, and formerly Nell's nightclub. Personal life McNally was born into a working-class family in ...

Mary-Ellen McTague Mary-Ellen McTague is a Manchester chef who has run two successful restaurants in the city; Aumbry and 4244. Career Mary-Ellen McTague attended St Gabriel's RC High School and Holy Cross College in Bury but gave up studying languages at universit ...

* Thomasina Miers *

Jamie Oliver James Trevor Oliver MBE OSI (born 27 May 1975) is an English chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. He is known for his casual approach to cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and open many restaurants. Oliver reac ...

Sid Owen Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Stric ...

* James Pimm *

Vaughan Smith Henry Vaughan Lockhart Smith (born 22 July 1963) is an English restaurateur, sustainable farmer, and freelance video journalist. He ran the freelance agency Frontline News TV and founded the Frontline Club in London. ''The Guardian'' has d ...

Scotland

* Bashir Ahmad * Mac Henderson

United States

By type

Restaurant founders

* Adam Fleischman * Gordon Hamersley *

Prue Leith Dame Prudence Margaret Leith, (born 18 February 1940) is a South African restaurateur, chef, caterer, television presenter/broadcaster, journalist, cookery writer and novelist. She is Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. She wa ...

Juanita Musson Juanita Lois Musson (; October 16, 1923 – February 26, 2011) was an American restaurateur who, from the 1950s to the 1980s, established and operated eleven restaurants (many of them named Juanita's Galley) in Sausalito, California, and around t ...

* David M. Overton * Bob Payton * Melissa Perello * P. Rajagopal * Daniel R. Scoggin *

Lydia Shire Lydia Shire (born 1948) is a Boston-based chef and restaurateur. Early life and education Born in Connecticut and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, both of her parents were illustrators. Shire began cooking as early as age four alongside her ...

* Jasper White

Fast casual chain founders

Gus Boulis Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis (Greek language, Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Μπούλης; April 6, 1949 – February 6, 2001) was an entrepreneur, land developer, casino operator, and restaurateur of Greeks, Greek descent, who was murdered in 200 ...

Leeann Chin Leeann Chin is a Bloomington, Minnesota-based Asian quick service restaurant chain, with over 50 locations throughout the Midwest, mostly in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The chain was founded by its namesake, Leeann Chin, and funded by Ca ...

Arthur Cores Arthur Richard Cores (August 11, 1957 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman and entrepreneur who was a co-founder of Boston Market. In 1985, while a student at Northeastern University in Boston, the 27-year-old Cores partnered wi ...

* Steve Ells

Fast-food chain founders

* Dave Barham *

Burt Baskin Burt "Butch" Baskin (December 17, 1913 December 24, 1967) was an American businessman who co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1946 with business partner and brother-in-law Irv Robbins. Early life Burt Baskin was born in Streat ...

Glen Bell Glen William Bell Jr. (September 3, 1923 – January 16, 2010) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Taco Bell chain of restaurants. Biography Glen Bell was born in Lynwood, California, to Glen William Bell Sr. and Ruth Elizabeth B ...

* Samuel Truett Cathy * Derek Cha * Blake Chanslor *

Andrew Cherng Andrew Cherng (; pronounced ''Chur-ng''; born April 1948) is a Chinese-born American billionaire restaurateur. He is the founder and chairman of Panda Restaurant Group, based in Rosemead, California. He is the co-founder and chief executive offi ...

* George W. Church, Sr. *

Al Copeland Alvin Charles Copeland (February 2, 1944 – March 23, 2008) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Popeyes fast food chain. He was also a successful restaurateur who created many successful upscale restaurants. Personal life Born in New O ...

Lucia Cunanan Lucía "Aling Lucing" Lagman Cunanan (27 February 1928 – 16 April 2008) was a Filipino restaurant, restaurateur best known for having invented or at least re-invented sisig, a popular Kapampangan people, Kapampangan dish in the Philippines and ...

Fred DeLuca Frederick Adrian DeLuca (October 3, 1947 – September 14, 2015) was an American businessman, who was the co-founder and president of the Subway franchise of fast food restaurants with Peter Buck. During his tenure, Subway grew into the largest f ...

* David Edgerton * Tom Forkner * Jack Fulk * Todd Graves *

Murray Handwerker Murray Handwerker (July 25, 1921 – May 14, 2011) was an American businessman who expanded Nathan's Famous, a fast food restaurant specializing in hot dogs, from a family-owned hot dog stand to a nationally franchised chain. The original Na ...

Nathan Handwerker Nathan Handwerker (June 14, 1892 – March 24, 1974)Nathan Handwerker
at the United States

Wilber Hardee Wilber Hardee (August 15, 1918 – June 20, 2008) was an American businessman who founded the American fast-food restaurant chain Hardee's, located mostly in the Midwest and Southeast regions. Biography Hardee was born in Martin County, Nort ...

Pete Harman Leon Weston "Pete" Harman (January 16, 1919 – November 19, 2014) was an American businessman best known for having struck a deal with Colonel Harland Sanders to open the first KFC franchise. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, Harman's location o ...

Tim Horton Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930 – February 21, 1974) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburg ...

Howard Deering Johnson Howard Deering Johnson (February 2, 1897 – June 20, 1972) was an American entrepreneur, businessman, and the founder of an American chain of restaurants and motels under one company of the same name, Howard Johnson's. Early life Howard Joh ...

* Ron Joyce * Carl Karcher * Margaret Karcher * Daniel J. Kim *

Ray Kroc Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman. He purchased the fast food company McDonald's in 1961 and was its CEO from 1967 to 1973. Kroc is credited with the global expansion of McDonald's, turnin ...

Young Lee Pinkberry is a franchise of frozen dessert restaurants headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. There are currently over 260 stores in 20 countries. The first store was opened in January 2005 by Hye Kyung (Shelly) Hwang and Young Lee. The restaurant ...

* Gust E. Lundberg * Pat McDonagh *

Richard and Maurice McDonald Richard McDonald (February 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice McDonald (1902 – December 11, 1971), together known as the McDonald Brothers, were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's. They opened the original Mc ...

James McLamore James Whitman McLamore (May 30, 1926 – August 8, 1996) was an American entrepreneur, the founder and first CEO of the Burger King fast food franchise, along with David Edgerton. He also created the Whopper sandwich. After selling Burger King ...

* Hugh Morris * Albert Okura * Robert O. Peterson * Harold Pierce *

Irv Robbins Irvine Robbins (December 6, 1917 – May 5, 2008) was a Canadian-born American businessman. He co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1945 with his partner and brother-in-law Burt Baskin. Early life Robbins was born in Winnipeg ...

* Joe Rogers, Sr. *

William Rosenberg William Rosenberg (June 10, 1916 – September 22, 2002) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Dunkin' Donuts franchise in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts, one of the pioneers in name-brand franchising, originally named the "Open Kettle" do ...

* Vernon Rudolph * Nabi Saleh *

Colonel Sanders Colonel Harland David Sanders (September 9, 1890 December 16, 1980) was an American businessman, best known for founding fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (also known as KFC) and later acting as the company's brand amba ...

Ike Sewell Issac Sewell (September 9, 1903 – August 20, 1990) was an American athlete, businessman, entrepreneur, and founder of the Uno Chicago Grill restaurant chain that originated in Chicago, Illinois, as well as founder of the Pizzeria Uno and Pi ...

Troy Smith Troy James Smith (born July 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Ohio State, was recognized as an All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2006. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fi ...

Esther Snyder Esther Lavelle Snyder (née Johnson) (January 7, 1920 – August 4, 2006) was an American businesswoman. She co-founded In-N-Out Burger, with her husband Harry Snyder, in 1948. Early life Snyder was born and raised in Sorento, Illinois, as one o ...

Harry Snyder Harry Snyder (September 9, 1913 – December 14, 1976) was a Canadian-born businessman. He founded In-N-Out Burger along with his wife Esther Snyder. Snyder was one of the first people to develop the idea of a drive-through hamburger restaurant, ...

* Felix Stehling *

Brody Sweeney Brody Sweeney is an Irish businessman, known for founding O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars and the food delivery brand Camile Thai Kitchen. Career In 1981, Sweeney founded Prontaprint, a printing company. He sold the company back to the British ...

Tony Tan Tony Tan Keng Yam (; born 7 February 1940) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the seventh president of Singapore between 2011 and 2017. He did not seek for a second term as president in 2017 due to a constitutional amendment ...

* Dave Thomas *

Lovie Yancey Lovie Yancey (January 3, 1912 – January 26, 2008), born in Bastrop, Texas, was the African-American founder of the Fatburger restaurant chain. Founding of Fatburger She originally owned a small restaurant in Tucson. In 1947, she founded Fa ...

Pizza chain founders

Nolan Bushnell Nolan Kay Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) is an American businessman and electrical engineer. He established Atari, Inc. and the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre chain. He has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and the Consu ...

Dan and Frank Carney Brothers Dan (born 1931) and Frank Carney (April 26, 1938 – December 2, 2020) were American businessmen who founded Pizza Hut, owned by Yum! Brands. Early years Dan and Frank Carney were born into a blended family of twelve children, and ra ...

Aaron Fechter Aaron Fechter (born December 21, 1953) is an American engineering entrepreneur, voice actor, singer and musician who owns and operates Creative Engineering, Inc. (CEI). He is best known as the creator of , an animatronic show featuring a variety ...

* Carol Grimaldi *

Marian Ilitch Marian Bayoff Ilitch (born January 7, 1933) is an American billionaire businesswoman, and the co-founder of Little Caesars Pizza with her late husband, Mike Ilitch. As of March 2018, Ilitch was one of the world's seven richest women, according t ...

Mike Ilitch Michael Ilitch Sr. (July 20, 1929 – February 10, 2017) was an American entrepreneur, founder and owner of the international fast food franchise Little Caesars Pizza. He owned the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and Detroit Tig ...

Sherwood Johnson Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson (September 2, 1925October 31, 1998) was an American jazz patron and the founder in 1954 of Shakey's Pizza, which hosted live jazz-oriented music nightly. Early history He was born in Sacramento, California, US, the son ...

* Gennaro Lombardi *

Tom Monaghan Thomas Stephen Monaghan (born March 25, 1937) is an American entrepreneur who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983 to 1992. Monaghan also owns the Domino's Farms Office Park, located in the Ann Arbor Charter Tow ...

John Schnatter John Hampton "Papa John" Schnatter (born November 22 or 23, 1961) is an American entrepreneur who founded the Papa John's pizza restaurant chain in 1984. Schnatter started the business in the back of his father's tavern after selling his car and ...

* Ken Selby * William Theisen