How Sam Fox went from college dropout to one of the country’s most successful restaurateurs (2024)

It was a flat tire that set restaurateur Sam Fox on the path toward becoming one of the country’s most successful multi-concept developers and operators.

It wasn’t even his flat tire. Fox was just a summer intern when his boss sent him to his home to change his wife’s flat tire. It was the height of summer, in the brutal Tucson heat.

“I got up,” Fox told the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive. “And I got in my car and I drove to the real estate firm where I was working and I told my boss, ‘I quit.’ I’m not going to work for anybody but myself. Nine months later, I had my first restaurant open.”

That first restaurant was Gilligan’s Bar and Grill in Tucson, which he launched in 1992 after dropping out of college and using some of his tuition money to fund. That restaurant never turned a profit, though its sales steadily climbed, and Fox sold it three years later for $500,000.

“Three years running that business with no money was my college of being a restaurateur,” Fox said. “And I use that foundation today of how I run my business. When you run a business with no money, you have to know where every single penny is every single day.”

It is hard to overstate how far Fox has come in the decades since.

Over the years, his Fox Restaurant Concepts has created some 20 brands, including Wildflower (the very first, which debuted in 1998), Culinary Dropout, Blanco, Zin Burger, North Italia and Flower Child. Those latter two restaurant brands received $88 million from The Cheesecake Factory in the three years leading up to 2019. That’s when The Cheesecake Factory paid $308 million to acquire all of Fox Restaurant Concepts.

“It’s going great,” Fox said of the pairing. “It’s better than I ever thought it was going to be. They’ve been great partners … We got to date before we got married, which I thought was really healthy.”

Fox remains heavily involved in the business and said he still feels like its owner.

The company’s success during the pandemic has been driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of its leadership, he said, and the ability (thanks in large part to the Cheesecake Factory’s deep pockets) to retain workers during the pandemic.

Fox continues to develop new restaurant concepts as he works to grow his existing chains and one-off businesses. He likes for new restaurants to develop in an unstructured way, perhaps around a single dish or a city or a building.

“It has to happen really organically,” he said. It has to be messy. It has to be a little bit disorganized.”

That is much the same way Fox’s restaurant empire has grown over the years.

“We never really had a plan,” he said. “We were working so hard growing, and just in the minutiae of the day-to-day operations … Everyone wants to look forward and plan on what’s next. But if we don’t focus on today, there is no tomorrow.”

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How Sam Fox went from college dropout to one of the country’s most successful restaurateurs (2024)

FAQs

What was Sam Fox's first restaurant? ›

Sam opened his own restaurant when he was only 21, and launched his first Fox Restaurant Group concept Wildflower in 1998, but became a household name after putting healthy eating on the map when he partnered with Dr.

Where did Sam Fox go to college? ›

Fox's parents wanted him to stay away from the restaurant business, so he attended the University of Arizona, majoring in real-estate finance. Fox ended up dropping out of college to follow his passion and opened his first restaurant in Tucson with the rest of his college savings.

Where did culinary dropout come from? ›

How did Culinary Dropout come together? Culinary Dropout was originally in Scottsdale. Bill Warner, the president of Warner Gaming, was rerouted to Phoenix and ate at Culinary Dropout.

Who started culinary dropout? ›

Improve your self-control with this straightforward technique. Culinary Dropout at Grant Road Lumber Yard is Sam Fox's first new restaurant in Tucson in a decade.

How much did Sam Fox sell his restaurants for? ›

Sam Fox sold his Phoenix-based restaurant group for more than $300 million last summer, yet Fox Restaurant Concepts is asking for our help in supporting its employees and launched a GoFundMe with a $500,000 goal.

Who opened their first restaurant in Southern California in 1937? ›

History. The McDonald brothers opened their first restaurant adjacent to the Monrovia Airport in 1937. It was a tiny octagonal building informally called The Airdrome.

What is the mission statement of the Sam Fox School? ›

The Sam Fox School strives to increase the diversity of our community, nurture an inclusive learning and work environment, and promote a culture and ethos that values diversity, inclusion, and equitable success.

What is the strategic plan of the Sam Fox School? ›

The Sam Fox School will harness transformative digital tools in architecture, art, design, and museum; advance and critically assess emerging technologies that shape our world; and leverage digital platforms to widely disseminate impactful research, creative activity, and scholarship.

How did Sam Fox make his money? ›

In 1976, Fox founded the Harbour Group, an operating company that builds and acquires businesses where he served as chairman and CEO until 2007 when he left to be the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium.

Is Guy Fieri a trained chef? ›

Guy Fieri didn't go to culinary school, but he studied hospitality management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Fieri gained culinary experience by studying abroad in France and working at the Italian chain Louise's Trattoria before opening his first restaurant, Johnny Garlic's.

Is Gordon Ramsay self taught? ›

Gordon Ramsay began a career as an athlete but stumbled upon his love for food and cooking. He decided to leave his soccer career and become an established chef in the United Kingdom. Therefore, he immediately started teaching himself the techniques and methods of cooking that he still uses today.

What is the oldest culinary school in the world? ›

Founded in Paris in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu culinary school occupies a unique place in the history of culinary arts as one of the oldest and most prestigious cooking schools in the world.

Is Culinary Dropout owned by Cheesecake Factory? ›

FRC now boasts 11 brands, minus North Italia: Flower Child, Culinary Dropout, The Henry, Blanco, Doughbird, Olive & Ivy, The Greene House, The Arrogant Butcher, Zinburger, Wildflower, and The Rocket.

Is there a shortage of chefs? ›

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the need for chefs and head cooks will rise by 25% by 2030. An average of about 18,800 openings for chefs and head cooks are projected each year over the decade.

How many restaurants does Guy Fieri own? ›

Guy Fieri Owns 18+ Restaurants & Here's Where To Find Them.

Does Sam Fox own Cheesecake Factory? ›

FRC will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary, and continue to be led by Sam Fox, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FRC, from FRC's headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona.

Does Cheesecake Factory own Fox restaurants? ›

With Fox deal done, Cheesecake Factory embarks on a new growth plan. The Cheesecake Factory has completed its complex acquisition of Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC), sparking one of the industry's more unusual strategies for sustaining the long-range growth and relevance of a mature powerhouse.

What restaurants did Sam Fox sell to Cheesecake Factory? ›

PHOENIX - The Valley-based company behind popular restaurants like Culinary Dropout, North Italia, and Flower Child has been sold to The Cheesecake Factory. Fox Restaurant Concepts, owned by Sam Fox, has agreed to be acquired by The Cheesecake Factory for $308 million.

What is the oldest black owned restaurant? ›

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner (Marianna, AR)

Touted as being the oldest Black-owned restaurant in the United States, Jones Bar-B-Q Diner has been operating since the 1910s.

What is the oldest still operating restaurant in America? ›

The White Horse Tavern is the “oldest operating restaurant in the U.S.” and is acknowledged as the 10tholdest in the world. The White Horse Tavern is a National Historic Landmark being America's oldest restaurant, having served guests since 1673.

Who owns McDonald's now? ›

McDonald's is owned by different shareholders, as it's a publicly traded company. According to CNN Business reports, most of this company's owners are institutional investors, who make up 70.14% of the outstanding shares. Individual owners only make up about 0.31%.

How many students are in Sam Fox School of Design? ›

The student body is composed of approximately 300 undergraduate and 40 graduate students in Art as well as 200 undergraduate and 225 graduate students in Architecture.

What is a mission statement for school organization? ›

What is a mission statement? A mission statement, or simply a mission, is a public declaration that schools or other educational organizations use to describe their founding purpose and major organizational commitments—i.e., what they do and why they do it.

Who is Sam Fox School named after? ›

The School is named after Sam Fox, BSBA51, who was integral in the realization of this collaborative vision. One of St. Louis' most active philanthropic leaders, he is also one of the staunchest supporters of Washington University.

What are the three schools of strategy? ›

What are Mintzberg's Schools of Strategic Management?
  • Prescriptive Design School.
  • Planning School.
  • Positioning School.
Apr 12, 2023

What are the 10 strategy school? ›

In strategic management, the Ten Schools of Thought model by Henry Mintzberg is a framework that explains approaches of defining a strategy; it can be in the form of a design, a plan, positioning, consumerist, cognitive (subjective); it can be learning; it can be power-centric; it can be culture-centric; it can be ...

What is Samantha net worth? ›

Samantha, who was last seen in Shaakuntalam, reportedly has a net worth of Rs 100 crore.

How much did Sam Fox sell Fox Concepts? ›

That's when The Cheesecake Factory paid $308 million to acquire all of Fox Restaurant Concepts.

Who makes the most money on Fox? ›

Tucker Carlson is the highest-paid television host in the world, with over $35 Million in salary earnings each year from Fox News.

Who makes more money Gordon Ramsay or Guy Fieri? ›

Fieri rakes in approximately $26 million per year, which is more than his competitor celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, who was paid $8 million, and Gordon Ramsay, who earned around $20 million last year.

Who is best chef in the world? ›

The World's Top Chefs
  • Joël Robuchon: 31 stars.
  • Alain Ducasse: 21 stars.
  • Gordon Ramsay: 16 stars.
  • Pierre Gagnaire: 14 stars.
  • Martin Berasategui – 12 stars.
  • Yannick Alléno: 10 stars.

Is Guy Fieri the richest chef in the world? ›

In November 2022, Guy Fieri's net worth was calculated to be around 20 million dollars, making him one of the richest chefs in the world.

What is Gordon Ramsay's most famous dish? ›

The Beef Wellington would enjoy a firm place in the English culinary scene, even making waves abroad (it was reportedly one of Richard Nixon's favourites!) But would gain the most popularity when Gordon Ramsay picked it up as his favourite, signature dish.

Does Gordon Ramsay have a diagnosis? ›

But a recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis means he may have to take a step back soon. “I'd never heard that word in relation to me before. He told me I needed to start slowing down,” Gordon told the outlet: “It was a case of 'Imagine you've got 1.5 million steps to run over the next 30 years… pace yourself.

What personality type does Gordon Ramsay have? ›

As an ENTJ, Gordon tends to be charismatic, direct, and logical. Gordon likely enjoys taking charge, working to achieve goals, and encouraging growth from others.

Is 60 too old for culinary school? ›

No one is too old for culinary school!

What is the most famous culinary school in the US? ›

#1: Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park

The Culinary Institute of America was founded in 1946 and is one of the best culinary schools in the world. With campuses in New York, California, and Texas, it has many options for students across the country.

What is the best degree for a chef? ›

Culinary arts is the best fit for those who want to run their kitchen. A bachelor's degree in culinary arts allows you to climb up competitive and challenging positions such as a sous chef or kitchen manager. Culinary arts curriculum varies from school to school.

Who owns Junior's cheesecake? ›

Purchase's Alan Rosen, the man behind the treasured Junior's cheesecake empire, dishes on loving the restaurant business.

Is Flower Child owned by Cheesecake Factory? ›

The Cheesecake Factory Completes Acquisitions of North Italia and Fox Restaurant Concepts. CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE)today announced that it has closed the acquisitions of North Italia and Fox Restaurant Concepts (“FRC”), including Flower Child.

How many Cheesecake Factory restaurants are there in the United States? ›

It operates 219 full-service restaurants: 206 under the Cheesecake Factory brand and 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe brand, not including the number of restaurants operated under the North Italia nor any of Fox Restaurant Brands' names.
...
The Cheesecake Factory.
The Cheesecake Factory's headquarters in Calabasas, California.
IndustryRestaurants
19 more rows

Is chef a stressful job? ›

Burnout is especially problematic in professional kitchens where chefs are sometimes expected to work up to 12 hours a day, weekends, and often in harsh working conditions.

Do chefs get tired? ›

As a chef, you're likely on your feet much of the day, cooking and preparing food. You may experience some physical stress and get tired or uncomfortable during the workday.

What states pay the most for chefs? ›

Geographic profile for Chefs and Head Cooks:
StateEmployment (1)Annual mean wage (2)
California19,790$ 69,000
Texas17,000$ 48,400
Florida14,270$ 58,860
New York10,190$ 75,940
1 more row

Why does Guy Fieri make so much money? ›

The contract also made Fieri the top-paid chef on cable TV. Forbes, which puts Fieri's TV earnings at roughly $26 million a year, also reported that Fieri's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives generated more than $230 million in 2020 ad revenue for the Food Network, according to data analytics firm Kantar.

What happened to Guy Fieri's son Jules? ›

Along with their two sons, Guy and his wife Lori helped raise Jules since Guy's sister Morgan's death in 2011 from melanoma. Jules recently graduated from California State University San Marcos.

What dish is Guy Fieri famous for? ›

tif. If there's one recipe that epitomizes Guy's big and bold flavors, it's his turkey chili for Food Network Magazine. Guy flavors this hearty stew with pasilla chile peppers — he rehydrates the dry kind for convenience — and spices like cumin, chili powder and paprika.

Who started the Roaring Fork restaurant? ›

The Roaring Fork, an American Western bistro developed by chef Robert McGrath, is a very good restaurant indeed. McGrath named the restaurant after Colorado's Roaring Fork River near Aspen, an area that's dear to his heart.

What was the first American restaurant opened in New York City? ›

The iconic New York City restaurant opened in 1837, and is still standing today. Delmonico's in New York City was the first establishment to use the name “restaurant.” They were the first restaurant to have printed menus.

Who is North Italia owned by? ›

It is hard to overstate how far Fox has come in the decades since. Over the years, his Fox Restaurant Concepts has created some 20 brands, including Wildflower (the very first, which debuted in 1998), Culinary Dropout, Blanco, Zin Burger, North Italia and Flower Child.

What was one of the first fine dining chains? ›

Restaurants Come to America

So it makes sense that the first fine-dining restaurant in America was opened in New York City in the 19th century. Delmonico's opened its doors in 1837 featuring luxurious private dining suites and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar.

What is the oldest continuously open restaurant in the United States? ›

The White Horse Tavern is the “oldest operating restaurant in the U.S.” and is acknowledged as the 10tholdest in the world. The White Horse Tavern is a National Historic Landmark being America's oldest restaurant, having served guests since 1673.

Who owns Roaring Fork? ›

Michael Pranke - Owner - Roaring Fork, Llc (dba Roaring Fork Restaurant Group) | LinkedIn.

What is the oldest restaurant North Fork? ›

Tweeds Restaurant & Buffalo Bar.

What is the oldest restaurant bar in New York that is still open when was it built? ›

Fraunces Tavern Restaurant has been operating since it's inception in 1762 and is currently home to some of the best food, liquor and craft beer in New York City.

What is the oldest family owned restaurant New York? ›

Barbetta, Since 1906, is the oldest restaurant in New York that is still owned by the family that founded it. Barbetta is also the oldest Italian restaurant in New York, and the oldest restaurant in New York's Theatre District.

Which was the first Chick Fil A in NYC? ›

The Atlanta-based chain opened its first New York City store in 2015 at 37th and 6th in Manhattan's Garment district in an existing building. Since then, it's added 18 more locations in The Big Apple—12 in Manhattan, three in Queens, one in Brooklyn, and one at the Staten Island Mall—all in pre-existing buildings.

Is Flower Child owned by the Cheesecake Factory? ›

The Cheesecake Factory Completes Acquisitions of North Italia and Fox Restaurant Concepts. CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE)today announced that it has closed the acquisitions of North Italia and Fox Restaurant Concepts (“FRC”), including Flower Child.

Does Cheesecake Factory own True Food Kitchen? ›

The Cheesecake Factory has previously invested in the North Italia and Flower Child brands. (Fox also started Sauce and True Food Kitchen, two restaurant concepts that were sold to other companies.)

What company owns Bella Italia? ›

The Big Table is the operator of a group of restaurant brands including Las Iguanas, Bella Italia, Café Rouge and Banana Tree.

What is the oldest fast food restaurant around? ›

Most historians agree that the American company White Castle was the first fast-food outlet, starting in Wichita, Kansas in 1916 with food stands and founding in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece from its inception and spawning numerous competitors and emulators.

What is the oldest fast food chain ever? ›

White Castle was the country's first fast food chain when it opened in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. What made it so appealing to Americans? It fit the tech fascinations of the '20s.

What is the oldest fast food restaurant? ›

What Is the Oldest Fast Food Restaurant? Many scholars agree that the American chain White Castle, which started in 1916 as a collection of food stands in Wichita, Kansas, and was formally established in 1921, was the first fast food restaurant.

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