Christopher Meers

Christopher Meers, is Divisional President of Mon Ami Gabi, Café Ba Ba Reeba, El Segundo Sol, Stripburger, Community Canteen, RPM Italian in Chicago and Washington D.C., RPM Steak, Bub City, Three Dots and a Dash, Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar (West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Chicago and North Bethesda), Ramen-san, Sushi-san, The Windy City Smokeout and Summer House Santa Monica Chicago, North Bethesda and O’Hare.

Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Bethesda, MD, Chris began his restaurant career at the age of 16 by convincing his parents to let him work part-time as a dishwasher at a local steakhouse. This experience led Chris to a variety of restaurant jobs while still in high school, including food runner, sandwich shop manager and weekend produce vendor, where he learned that “the concepts of good food and good profit go together.”

While attending the University of Maryland, Chris went to work for the restaurant group Capital Management, followed by Ruth’s Chris Steak House. While at Ruth’s Chris, he became immersed in the operational side of the restaurant business while opening and then managing their Cleveland, OH. location.

In 1998, Chris was approached by Lettuce and accepted the position of General Manager of Executive Chef/Partner Gabino Sotelino’s Ambria and Mon Ami Gabi restaurants in Chicago. This partnership with Gabino led to the expansion of the Mon Ami Gabi concept to Las Vegas, Oakbrook, IL, Bethesda, MD and Reston, VA.

This early connection with Chef Gabino remains most important to Chris, who says he has learned many aspects of the restaurant business from working with Gabino, and values his professional and personal relationship with him.

In between the openings of Mon Ami Gabi’s, Chris also worked with his team to develop and open Stripburger in Las Vegas in 2007, followed by Community Canteen in 2008, located next door to the Mon Ami Gabi in Reston, VA.

Also, in 2008, Chris collaborated with Lettuce Partners R.J. and Jerrod Melman to open Hub 51 in Chicago’s River North area, followed the next year by M Street Kitchen in Santa Monica, CA, which introduced the West Coast to Lettuce Entertain You.