Danny Meyer

Danny Meyer is considered by many to be the dean of hospitality in the United States. Clearly a standout on the American dining scene, Meyer has a stellar stable of New York restaurants that have captivated the public for as long as 25 years. Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group now is spreading its wings in new and exciting ways.

Take an up close and personal look at this remarkable entrepreneur and highly successful risktaker to find out why he was selected to kick off FoodChannel PRO’s ‘Leader with Guts’ series.

Title: Chief Executive of Union Square Hospitality Group, New York City

Restaurants: Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke/Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern (Café 2, and Terrace 5) at the Museum of Modern Art, Hudson Yards, a fine dining, full-service catering and sports and entertainment business, and El Verano Taqueria and Box Frites, both at CitiField

Newest Ventures: Maialino, which opened November 2009. This new Roman-style trattoria in the Gramercy Park Hotel is packing them in; Designed by the Rockwell Group, Maialino features the cuisine of executive chef Nick Anderer and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The average check is $45 at lunch and $75 at dinner. The all-Italian wine list features 18 available by the glass. Maialino seats 92 in the dining room, 48 in the bar area and 22 in the private dining room.

Hospitality Quotient, a business dedicated to helping other businesses apply the transforming power of hospitality, was launched in March of 2010. HQ’s offerings include courses held at Union Square Hospitality Group headquarters, as well as customized programming tailored to meet specific business objectives. This business stemmed from continuous consumer interest and demand.

Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.

Education: Degree in Political Science from Trinity College

First restaurant experience: Assistant manager at Pesca, a Italian seafood restaurant in NYC

Honors: 21 James Beard Awards, including first-ever Outstanding Restaurateur; International Foodservice Manufacturer’s Association Gold Plate; honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University

Books published: Co-author of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook: 160 Favorite Recipes from New York’s Acclaimed Restaurant; Author of Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, which was named a best seller by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek

Personal: Married with four children

Part of the FoodChannelPRO™ special edition, featuring Leaders with Guts sponsored by: