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LETTUCE ENTERTAIN YOU
www.leye.com
Location:
Detailed information to come
History:
For more than twenty years, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.
(LEYE) has maintained a sense of humor and enjoyment while creating
high quality, extremely successful restaurants. Due to the innovation
of LEYE president, Richard Melman, and his creative team of partners
and employees, LEYE currently owns and licenses more than 40 establishments
in Illinois, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota and Japan. The founding
of LEYE was the result of joining Melman's food ideas with the confidence
and support of Jerry A. Orzoff, Melman's first partner. A successful
real estate agent and North Michigan Avenue haberdasher, Orzoff (who
died in 1981 at the age of 45), played a crucial role in Melman's
life as a friend and mentor. "Jerry was a guy I respected and
related to," says Melman. "He believed in my ideas. Meeting
him was the turning point in my life." After meeting Melman for
the first time in 1970, Orzoff liked his off beat ideas, and believed
in his ability. Working together as new friends and partners, Melman
and Orzoff raised a total of $17,000 to create an upbeat eatery geared
toward young singles interested in rock music, casual clothes and
healthy food. Melman hired bright, attractive waitresses and bartenders,
and filled the location with hanging plants and modern art work. The
menu was designed to appeal to a variety of tastes, and included everything
from vegetarian and macrobiotic foods to hamburgers, sandwiches, milkshakes,
and the first fruit and vegetable laden salad bar. Melman and Orzoff
paired their first initials, added the sound a pig makes when eating,
and baptized the establishment R.J. Grunts, on June 10, 1971 in Chicago's
Lincoln Park. Despite a lackluster response in the opening weeks,
Orzoff provided the much needed confidence and enthusiasm to keep
Melman optimistic until his dream became reality. After one month,
Grunts became a success and Melman was delighted he had developed
a concept for "his generation." For Melman and Orzoff, the
success of R.J. Grunts marked the beginning. New ideas and concepts
were created, and in 1973 LEYE opened Fritz That's It! in Evanston,
followed by the Great Gritzbe's Flying Food Show in 1974, Jonathan
Livingston Seafood in 1975 and Lawrence of Oregano in 1976. With each
new restaurant, Melman's style evolved and he welcomed new challenges.
Having mastered the off beat casual restaurant style, Melman directed
his attention and energy toward the world of fine cuisine when he
reopened the famous Pump Room in Chicago's Gold Coast in 1976. In
an attempt to maintain the ambiance and reputation of this establishment,
which originally opened in 1938, Melman trained with a noted Chicago
culinary expert, reorganized the kitchen and redecorated the room,
and hired a staff trained in the LEYE philosophy. In 1979, Melman
decided to expand into the Chicago suburbs and opened Bones in Lincolnwood.
In 1980, LEYE took the popular R.J. Grunts, added a more contemporary
look, and opened a second eatery in Glenview. As always, the restaurants
were comfortable and entertaining, and served great food. With the
success of the Pump Room, Melman found himself interested in expanding
the fine dining concept. He visited France in 1980 with Chef Gabino
Sotelino, opened Ambria, and brought the most contemporary French
cuisine to Chicago. After establishing Ambria as one of Chicago's
premier dining spots, Melman formed a partnership with Sotelino. The
success of Ambria inspired additional trips to Europe in order to
study food and style. As a result of such visits, LEYE opened Un Grand
Cafe, a French styled bistro; and the sophisticated Italian restaurant,
Avanzare. The success of such establishments has earned LEYE increased
recognition across the country for its international expertise and
flair. May of 1993 also witnessed the opening of a third Tucci Benucch
located in Seattle, Washington. This is the first Lettuce Entertain
You restaurant in the Pacific Northwest region, and is structured
in the same manner as the other Tucci Benucches, offering an Italian
country home setting. Just over a year later in June 1994, expansion
outside of the Chicago market continued with the opening of a new
restaurant in Minnesota's Mail of America. Twin City Grill is a quiet,
cozy restaurant embracing the nostalgia of the 30's and 40's and serving
classic American dishes. October 1994 marked the expansion of Maggiano's
Little Italy and Corner Bakery to Skokie, Illinois, in the popular
Old Orchard Shopping Mail, the third Maggiano's to open since the
concept was created in 1991, and the fifth Corner Bakery to open in
the same period. A free standing Corner Bakery opened in downtown
Chicago in July, 1995 and another Corner Bakery concept, Pizzaahh!,
located in the food court of Old Orchard Center in Skokie, Illinois
opened in November, 1995. As 1995 came to a close, LEYE opened two
new distinctive restaurants. Brasserie Jo, an authentic, lively French
brasserie opened in September, 1995, and Wildfire, featuring classic
American cuisine cooked over natural wood fire opened in December,
1995. "We're a very disciplined organization. We run restaurants
well," says Melman. "People think of us as creative and
I do believe we possess creativity but more importantly, we play good
solid ball. Our costs are good. We surround ourselves with good people
and we train them well ... not a lot of fancy stuff, just the basics.
And, we work very hard." Adds Melman of LEYE's success, "We've
had the ability to give people what they want almost before they know
they want it. You can call it trendsetting. I prefer to call it the
ability to listen to people."
Benefits:
1. Paid Vacation:
1 week after 6 months and an additional week after 1 year.
2 years: 2 weeks
3 & 4 years: 3 weeks
5 years: 4 weeks
2. Holidays: Most of the restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving
and Christmas. There are some exceptions. Please check with individual
concepts.
3. Medical Insurance: Both medical and dental begin the 1st
of a calendar month following 90 days. PPO insurance plan with 2 physician
networks to chose from when signing up. $20 co-pay in network. Pharmacy
plan $50 annual deductible- both on-site and by mail order. Vision
plan-$15 co-pay for annual and discounts on eye glasses. Dental-one
network to work out of $75 annual deductible-2 cleaning a year (deductible
is waived for preventative visits)
4. Dental Insurance: Dental-one network to work out of $75
annual deductible-2 cleaning a year (deductible is waived for preventative
visits)
Currently Managers pay $71 dollars a month for single coverage insurance.
5. Vision Care: see above under “medical insurance”.
6. Life Insurance: see below under “Optional Supplemental
Life Insurance”
Payment Schedule:
(bi-weekly) For benefits 3, 4, 5 & 6
Amounts per paycheck (every 2 weeks)
Employee only:
net=$20.25; incentive=$24.75 Plan 1
net=$35.25; incentive=$42.75 Plan 2
Employee & Children:
net=$84.55; incentive=$22.45 Plan 1
net=$162.87; incentive=$32.13 Plan 2
Employee & spouse:
net=$89.05; incentive=$26.96 Plan 1
net=$183.31; incentive=$45.69 Plan 2
Employee & Family:
net=$125.03; incentive=$49.97 Plan 1
Net=$205.85; incentive=$73.15 Plan 2
Notes: There are different incentive levels for General Manager
and Executive Chef. Please discuss rates for candidates being hired
at those levels directly with Christine or Lisa.
7. Optional Short and long term disability Insurance Program: No
short-term; long-term disability is included in plan.
8. Optional Supplemental Life Insurance: Option to enroll in voluntary
term-life insurance. It is a low-cost option due to being a part of
a group plan. You can select multiples of salary up to 5X salary.
9. 401(k) Plan: Eligibility after 6 months regular, full-time employment.
You can roll from an existing plan at date of hire.
10. Meal Privilege: You and another guest, or you, your husband/wife
& children can enjoy LEYE restaurants at a 50% discount. It is
processed via a management discount card and through payroll. Eligibility
begins after completion of management training program.
11. Uniforms: For most concepts not applicable at management level.
12. Other Perks: Sick days are available after 6 months of full-time
employment. The first year will be on a pro-rated schedule (ask for
details). Paid sick days are by calendar year, and do not accrue.
There are 7 sick days to be used in case of illness per year.
Management Profile:
It's simple-we hire people with the creativity, passion & enthusiasm
to settle for nothing less than the best.
That's the idea behind all of our restaurants, with authentic, ethnic
concepts ranging from 4 star French to upscale Italian, to Spanish
Tapas & Asian.
We're currently seeking talented individuals who have what it takes
to grow with us and share in our success. Our vision is to be the
very best that we can be.
Growth:
Detailed information to come
