Haro celebrates more than 20 years
SPB Hospitality, operator and franchisor of Logan’s Roadhouse, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, J. Alexander’s, Krystal Restaurants and a collection of high-end restaurant brands and breweries, has promoted Luis Haro to Senior Director of Culinary. Haro has worked for Logan’s Roadhouse for over 20 years and has spent the last six years working in the culinary department at SPB Hospitality.
Haro began his restaurant career 27 years ago working in the kitchen and later transitioning to training and development and then research and development. Haro has created hit menu items, including Logan’s Roadhouse iconic Potato Skins appetizer, which was ranked a top 20 menu item in Flavor magazine in 2018. Not only was this an award winning and fan-favorite appetizer, but it also heavily reduced waste in restaurant, leading to an increase in bottom line.
“When I started working a part-time restaurant job in high school, I never imagined it would turn into a long-term career with the opportunity to lead a culinary team and create menu items people love,” said Luis Haro, senior director of culinary for SPB Hospitality. “This is a great next step for me, and I look forward to continuing working with people I admire and with a company that has a great culture. As SPB Hospitality has grown, so has our circle of chefs. I hope to create a collaborative environment with the chefs across each brand to work on menu innovation and development.”
One of Haro’s focuses within his new role will be cross-utilizing of menu items between SPB brands. An innovation he is looking into is introducing beer from SPB breweries into menu items such as Logan’s Roadhouse onion rings, to create a cross-branded yet localized product. He and the culinary team will focus their creative process to develop menu items relevant to the consumer and make great food for more people.
“SPB stands for Serving People Better, and Luis is the prime example of our brand values. We are thankful for his longevity and dedication to our restaurants,” said Josh Kern, Interim CEO at SPB Hospitality. “We value his community-centric approach and pride ourselves on promoting great employees like Luis from within to truly cultivate the best culture across our portfolio.”
When he’s not innovating in the test kitchen, Haro is a board member of the International Corporate Chefs Association. He resides in Franklin, Tenn., and resides in Franklin, TN with his wife and two daughters.
SPB Hospitality is a leading operator and franchisor of full-service dining restaurants, spanning a national footprint of hundreds of restaurants and breweries in 37 states and territories.
The Company’s diverse portfolio of restaurant brands includes Logan’s Roadhouse, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, Krystal Restaurants, and a collection of high-end restaurant brands including J. Alexander’s and Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill. SPB Hospitality is also one of the largest operators of craft brewery restaurants in the country including Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, ChopHouse & Brewery, Big River Grille & Brewing Works, AIA Ale Works Restaurant & Taproom, Ragtime Tavern Seafood & Grill and Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery. To learn more visit SPBhospitality.com.
