Carl A. Bruggemeier has over thirty-five years of management experience primarily in the Hospitality Industry. Mr. Bruggemeier has very unique qualifications including being a highly-skilled Corporate Executive, an Entrepreneur, a Culinarian and a student of Economics and Finance. In the course of his career he has directed several high profile restaurants including Tavern on the Green (New York), Potomac (Washington, D.C.), Commander’s Palace (New Orleans), The Phoenix (Cincinnati) and Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes (Orlando).

Mr. Bruggemeier is the President and Founder of The CZH Hospitality Group, LLC. The Group is a full-service provider of concepting, re-concepting, design and development assistance to the Hospitality and Retail Industries. CZH also focuses on highly targeted projects for its clients in the areas of: product development, leadership and staff training, targeted marketing, menu engineering and financial analysis. The Group is sought after by companies of all types for its wealth of expertise in the area of Lifestyle Adaptation based on intra-demographic change. Focusing on concept development, training and customers’ expectations, The Group grows sales and profits for its clients.

Carl Bruggemeier is also a Principal and Co-Founder of three other Enterprises: 1) eXceed Hospitality Asset Advisors, LLC, a Hotel Asset Management and Development Assistance Firm, 2) Blue Skies Hospitality Management, a Hospitality Industry Technology Company that focuses on Customer Data Base Applications, Reservations and Financial Flash Reporting Systems and 3) my Rx for Living, an Internet based Membership Community dedicated to Self-Improvement that connects its members to Professional Experts from a wide array of Life and Business disciplines.

During the 1990’s Mr. Bruggemeier was the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of “Ciao Cucina Corporation”, a multi-unit publicly traded (NASDAQ) restaurant company which he founded.

As a developer and industry consultant he has completed over $250 Million of total restaurant and retail design, construction and development. Conceiving and building new Hospitality and Retail Concepts is one of the hallmarks of Mr. Bruggemeier’s career. Over 50 new and exciting restaurants and retail stores have been brought to life during the thirty-five years of his career. Through eXceed Hospitality Asset Advisors; Mr. Bruggemeier has had involvement in $4.5 Billion of Hotel Development.

From a human resource perspective, Mr. Bruggemeier has had a leadership role in training or developing over 35,000 management and staff employees. Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities and industry and trade associations routinely ask Mr. Bruggemeier to speak to their groups on a variety of topics including effective communication, leadership, motivation, sales and marketing, re-concepting the entire business, and human resource development.

Mr. Bruggemeier’s media and on-air credits include “The Great Chefs Series” (PBS), “Panorama” (FOX), “The Today Show” (NBC), and “Carl Bruggemeier’s Food For Thought” (syndicated by Multimedia Entertainment). Mr. Bruggemeier is the recipient of numerous industry awards including the Hall of Fame Fine Dining Award, The Ivy Award, and the “Esquire Best New Restaurant in America Award”.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Corporate functions have included a broad spectrum of disciplines and roles including those of:  President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for entrepreneurial and public companies.

• Creative profit-driven management at the corporate and unit level of a multi-unit location company.

• The development of new corporate structures and establishment of company policies, procedures and standards.

• Formulating and implementing comprehensive policies, procedures and operations manuals for all levels of a corporate infrastructure.

• Human Resource Management:  Selection of corporate and unit management, coupled with successful training, motivation and maintenance of performance.

• Creation and cost-containment of wage and benefit programs designed to attract and maintain the highest caliber of staff.

• Highly-skilled negotiator in the areas of:  Real estate development, landlord build-to-suit programs, leases, banking relationships, general construction, product procurement and a variety of other business related issues.

• Recent completion of three major corporate development deals with national asset management groups that resulted in 100% funding for the opening of three new restaurants.  The total landlord commitments for these projects exceeded $15,000,000.

• Negotiated the structure, designed, constructed and currently operating the only independently owned, fine dining restaurant in a Ritz Carlton Hotel.

• Design, coordination and construction of facilities, including the responsibilities of the general contractor. ($250 million of total restaurant construction)

• Determination of concept, menu and product development, design and décor, site selection, pro-formas and associated capital formation for new businesses.

• Multi and single unit marketing, advertising and promotional programs resulting in customer count growth and profitability.

• International and National Media:  Excellent long-term relationships with food, life-style and travel press in both the print and broadcast segments, which have maximized promotional opportunities.

• Financial Management:  Asset growth, budgeting and cost control including implementation and analysis at the corporate and unit levels.

• Real estate investment and management combined with creative financing techniques for service of debt and return on investment.

• Corporate Finance: Successful placement of debt instruments, large private placements and the completion of an Initial Public Offering (NASDAQ).

• Significant experience in Brand Management to promote and enhance consumer awareness.

• Development and standardization for a variety of consumer products.

• Outstanding culinary skills.

• Production of food and life-style oriented television programs.

• Book development, publication and marketing.

• Planning an execution of major corporate, social, cultural, and political events for up to 5000 guests.

AWARDS

Hall of Fame Fine Dining Award presented by Nation’s Restaurant News
Playboy Critics Award
Ivy Award presented by Restaurants and Institutions Magazine
Mobil Guide Four Star Award
Travel/Holiday Award
Business Executives Excellence in Fine Dining Award
Gualt/Millau – Best Restaurants in America Guide
Esquire Magazine “Outstanding New Restaurant”
James Beards Foundation “Outstanding New Restaurant”

GUEST LECTURER

The American Cuisine Symposium                                Florida State University
The California Wine Festival                                          The University of New Orleans
National Restaurant Association Convention                The University of Houston
Club Managers of American National Conference        Syracuse University
Michigan State University                                              International Foods Conference

MEDIA AND ON-AIR PERFORMANCES

P.B.S. New Orleans “The Great Chefs of New Orleans”
P.B.S. Houston “The Warner Roberts Show”
PM Magazine New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, Washington, D.C
Fox Television “Panorama” New York and Washington, D.C
Channel 2 (NBC) Houston, “The Five O’clock Report”
Channel 4 (NBC) Detroit “Live at Five”
BBC Television & Radio London, England
CBS Morning News
Two Wine and Food Show pilots for syndicated sale to cable television
Paramount Pictures “Terms of Endearment”
Contributing Writer for Restaurant Business, Restaurant Hospitality and Restaurants and Institutions
NBC Multimedia, Inc., Carl Bruggemeier’s “Food for Thought,” syndicated news insert on food and life –style
NBC Today Show – Cooking with Bryant Gumbel

PREMIER DINING EVENTS

The American Cuisine Symposium
Gualt/Millau National Restaurant Tour
Nation’s Restaurant news MUFSO Conference
New Orleans “La Fete” Food and Wine Festival (co-hosted w/Robert Mondavi)
The National Republican Governor’s Conference
The First National Aids Benefit (co-hosted by former President Ronald and Nancy Reagan and Elizabeth Taylor)
State Dinners for:  The Prime Minister of Israel, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the Royal Family of England, the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the Peoples Republic of China.
U.S. World-Wide Art Embassies Program (co-hosted by former Secretary of State, George Schulz and Mrs. Walter Annenberg)
Major League Baseball All-Star Gala for 2500 guests
City of Cincinnati Bicentennial Birthday Gala for 3500 guests