Paul Fleming (restaurateur) Early life Career References Navigation menu"Grow Slow: Lessons From Legendary Restaurauter Paul Fleming""Matchbox Food Group Adds Investors to Fuel Growth""QandA with Restaurateur Paul Fleming""Conceptual Thinking: P.F. Chang's founder forges ahead in restaurant innovation""QandA with Restaurateur Paul Fleming""Man behind P.F. Chang's, Fleming's bringing latest restaurant concept to Scottsdale""New Irvine eatery part of O.C. restaurant boom""Not just another chain restaurant""Paul Martin's American Grill""Fleming debuts Paul Martin's American Bistro in Calif""Fleming's New Restaurant to Open in Scottsdale - Orange County Business Journal"
American restaurateursLiving people
P. F. Chang's China BistroFleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine BarPei Wei Asian DinerNew IberiaLouisianasquabLoyola UniversityNew OrleansRuth's Chris Steak HouseFleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine BarBloomin’ Brands
Paul Fleming is an American restaurateur. He has developed a number of restaurant chains, including P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar,[1][2]Pei Wei Asian Diner, Z’Tejas Grills, and Paul Martin's American Grill.[3]
Early life
The New Iberia, Louisiana native[4] grew up with a love of food, enjoying squab among other things,[3] and first worked in the hospitality industry while a student at Loyola University in New Orleans. His first job in the restaurant industry was at a local restaurant called Saturday’s. He began as a dishwasher and progressed to become a busboy, server, bartender and finally, the manager.[3]Fleming graduated from both LSU and Loyola universities
Career
Fleming's first foray into ownership of restaurants began with his purchase of the franchise rights for Ruth's Chris Steak House[1] in three states, California, Arizona, and Hawaii.[5] The first Ruth's Chris he opened was located at 224 South Beverly Drive, in 1984. He then went to his second location in 1985 at 2201 E. Camelback Rd. in Phoenix. Next was his San Francisco location at California and Van Ness intersection, and then his opening of the fourth unit at Restaurant Row in Hawaii. Eventually he sold all his stores back to Ruth's Chris. This opened the door years later to co founding Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar.
Fleming is the P.F. in P.F. Chang's China Bistro, which he founded with his dear friend as consultant and cultural hero Philip Chiang. This restaurant chain made its debut in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993. He then built the infrastructure that led the company to national expansion and a public offering. He also conceptualized Pei Wei Asian Diner, a casual, quick-service offshoot of P.F. Chang's.
With partner Bill Allen, Fleming developed another restaurant chain that bears his name: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar,[6] which started in 1998 in Newport Beach, California. Fleming's is operated as a joint venture with Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN.O) and has grown to 65 locations across the U.S.
In 2006 Fleming began tinkering with a new concept, Paul Martin's American Grill,[7][8] with restaurant industry veteran Brian Bennett. Specializing in all-natural American cuisine,[9] the first grill opened in 2007 in Roseville, California.[10] In 2014, there were eight of these restaurants in California, one in Arizona, and also in Austin Texas and Dallas texas.[11]
References
^ ab Rob Asghar (September 14, 2014). "Grow Slow: Lessons From Legendary Restaurauter Paul Fleming". Forbes Magazine..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ "Matchbox Food Group Adds Investors to Fuel Growth". FSR magazine.
^ abc "QandA with Restaurateur Paul Fleming". Great Taste Magazine.
^ Ramos, Bethany; Farkas, David. "Conceptual Thinking: P.F. Chang's founder forges ahead in restaurant innovation". Retrieved September 5, 2013.
^ "QandA with Restaurateur Paul Fleming". Great Taste.
^ "Man behind P.F. Chang's, Fleming's bringing latest restaurant concept to Scottsdale". Phoenix Business Journal. 12 February 2014.
^ Luna, Nancy (November 17, 2011). "New Irvine eatery part of O.C. restaurant boom". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
^ "Not just another chain restaurant". Mountain View Voice.
^ "Paul Martin's American Grill". Desert Living Today.
^ "Fleming debuts Paul Martin's American Bistro in Calif". Nation's Restaurant News. October 30, 2007.
^ "Fleming's New Restaurant to Open in Scottsdale - Orange County Business Journal".
