8/16 - Jayce Milstead, Linda Jordan,

JAYCE MILSTEAD - FIRESTONE-WALKER BREWERY

Firestone Walker Brewing Company began in 1996, at a small, private facility on a corner of the Firestone Vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County. In 2002 owners Adam Firestone and David Walker purchased SLO Brewing Company located in Paso Robles, CA. The original SLO Brew, built in 1998, featured seven 200-barrel JV Northwest unitanks and a 200 barrel JV Northwest bright beer tank. We have since added to the original brewery, now featuring 17 interior fermenters, four 500bbl exterior fermenters, a KHS keg line and Krones bottling line among other improvements. Firestone Walker’s ales are also selectively fermented in the patented Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system. The Firestone Union incorporates 60-gallon, medium and heavy toast American oak barrels Firestone Walker Brewing Company has grown to become one of the “Top 50″ largest craft breweries in the U.S. brewing over 60,000 barrels of beer in 2009.


Linda Jordan - GM Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris Steak House is a chain of over 120 steakhouses across the United States and in several international locations. The restaurant is regarded as an upscale fine dining establishment, marking a gradual elevation in its status since its founding in the 1960s. Ruth's Chris is currently the largest luxury steak company, larger than other restaurants such as The Palm and Morton's chains in number of locations, The group has its headquarters in Heathrow, Florida[ The chain was founded by Ruth Fertel, a single mother of two, in 1965, after she bought the existing Chris Steak House in New Orleans. In buying the restaurant, Fertel had to agree that the restaurant keep the "Chris" name for a specified period of time. After the original location sustained a kitchen fire, she relocated the restaurant about one-half mile (0.9 km) to the west on Broad Street and renamed the rebuilt establishment "Ruth's Chris." Under the purchase agreement, the name "Chris Steak House" could not be used at any other location, and she did not want to lose customers already familiar with the Chris name. Fertel started to franchise the restaurant in the 1970s to locations throughout the United States and the world. Advertising efforts are primarily focused in the talk radio market and its male demographic. The chain has cultivated paid endorsements from several radio celebrities, including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with the latter proclaiming Ruth's to be his favorite restaurant. Ruth's won the 2006–2007 Golden Icon Award for "Best Steak House Chain"; the Golden Icon Awards are presented annually by Travolta Family Entertainment.