Christopher Meers is the President of Mon Ami Gabi, Cafe
Ba-Ba-Reeba! and Stripburger for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc (LEYE).
Meers joined LEYE in 1998 and now oversees Chef/Partner Gabino
Sotelino’s Restaurants including Ambria and Mon Ami Gabi
(with locations in Chicago, Oak Brook, Las Vegas, and Bethesda).
Meers has also taken a large role in developing Stripburger, a concept opening
summer 2007 on the Las Vegas Strip.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Bethesda, Maryland,
Meers remembers being sixteen years old and having to convince his parents to
let him work part time at a local Steak House where he started as a dishwasher
and quickly worked his way up to food preparation. The first of many restaurant
jobs to follow, Meers has worked as a food runner for a pan Asian restaurant
and manager of its sandwich take out shop as well as ran a produce stand
selling fresh produce to suburbanites on the weekends. These experiences taught
him that "the concept of good food and good profit goes together."
While attending the University of Maryland,
Meers went to work for Capital Management where he held his first management
position as beverage manager at a new Italian concept restaurant. Then Capital
Management was opening a new supper club where he assisted with the training of
the bar & wait staff. Ruth Chris Steak House then approached Meers to
become the General Manager of one of their new restaurants. Trained in New Orleans, Meers assisted in the opening of their Indianapolis location and was assigned the responsibility
of opening and managing the new Ruth Chris in Cleveland, Ohio.
It was in 1998 that Meers was approached by LEYE and became
the General Manager of Ambria and Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park. Meers says he was excited about
this "opportunity and challenge of operating two restaurants and working
in a chef driven environment." He then assisted in the opening of Mon Ami
Gabi and Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Las
Vegas. Working with founder Rich Melman and President,
Kevin Brown, Meers says he "learned about expanding and growing a
restaurant concept, such as Mon Ami Gabi and adopting to its customer base,
surroundings and local taste."
Meers values most his relationship with Vice President and
Executive Chef of Mon Ami Gabi, and Cafe
Ba-Ba-Reeba! Gabino Sotelino.
Working together on the expansion and development of new Mon Ami Gabi and Cafe
Ba-Ba-Reeba stores, and says he has learned many aspects of the restaurant
business from Gabino and values his professional and personal relationship with
him. Meers now calls Chicago
home and lives here with his wife and two children.
