Michael Rotolo

“I had just switched my major from Architecture to Hotel Restaurant Management when my father forwarded an article he had clipped out of an airline magazine, circa 1982, about Rich Melman and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Since that day, all I’ve ever wanted to do was work with Rich.” After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Rotolo landed a job with Lettuce as the Restaurant Manager of Everest, a four-star fine dining restaurant, featuring the superlative cuisine of Chef Jean Joho, and has never looked back.

In 1999, Rich Melman, Gerard Centioli and Michael Fox created ICON, a company formed to partner with best-in-class original foodservice icons. Their first partnership featured Joe’s Stone Crab, the legendary eatery of Miami Beach. Rotolo was hired as Operations Director to assist in the development of the concept, alongside Lettuce partners Howard Katz, Joe Decker and Gary Baca. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab opened in Chicago in the fall of 2000 to large crowds and critical acclaim. The restaurant has been expanded on three occasions since, adding more seats to the dining room, private party space and a handsome boardroom. “We set out to create a restaurant which would reflect positively on the reputation of Lettuce Entertain You and Joe’s Stone Crab. A restaurant that felt like a club, but was open to the public.”

2004 marked the expansion of Joe’s to Las Vegas in the Forum Shops at Caesars. Rotolo, having been promoted to Managing Partner/COO, relocated with his family to Las Vegas to oversee the development of the restaurant. “Las Vegas offers tremendous opportunity, due to the sheer number of visitors, yet is a fiercely competitive market, not just among restaurants, but entertainment venues, casinos and the like.” Joe’s Las Vegas features a café, overlooking the fountains, a bustling bar and a magnificent private dining room with views of the strip. It has become one of the most popular dining destinations in a city famous for its world class restaurants.

In addition to the Everest and Joe’s, Michael served as the General Manager of Scoozi! from 1995 – 1997, where he oversaw the implementation of an antipasti bar, wood-burning oven and semi-private dining areas. In 2006, he headed up a consulting project with Lettuce, for Harrahs Entertainment, to create a state-of–the art buffet in the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. In 2007, Rotolo was instrumental in developing Kool Kreme, a soft-serve ice cream component for ICON’s Krispy Kreme doughnut stores, along with Gary Baca and Tom Culleeney. “ My desire to work with Rich stemmed from the myriad of concepts he had created, everything from fine dining restaurants like Ambria and Un Grand Café to fun, casual restaurants like R.J. Grunts and Lawrence of Oregano. As I look back on all I’ve learned, the most important lessons have had little to do with the restaurant business. He taught me how to care for people and how to coach and develop people to care. That’s made me a better person.”