President and CEO
R.J. Melman
President and CEO, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants
- Discipline
- President and CEO
Portrait of R.J. Melman
i. Biography
R.J. Melman is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, the Chicago-based, family-owned restaurant group with more than 110 restaurants and 60 concepts nationwide. He joined the company full time in 2001, served as president beginning in 2017, and was named CEO in 2025. He and his partners also founded Windy City Smokeout, and he was selected as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 National winner.
The Sunday email
Get new Made By stories every Sunday.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.
Explore
The Sunday email
Get new Made By stories every Sunday.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.