Larry Levy is Founder and Chairman of the Chicago-based Levy Restaurants as well as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of his real estate development company, The Levy Organization.
Since its founding in 1978, Larry has built Levy Restaurants into a dynamic culinary and hospitality business known nationwide for award-winning restaurants, and as the innovator and market leader of sports and entertainment dining. With Larry's guiding creativity, Levy Restaurants has blossomed from a single delicatessen in Chicago into a specialized food service organization with a network of internationally acclaimed restaurants, the leading market share of high-end sports and entertainment facilities throughout North America and England, and a new growth initiative in resort and hotel dining. Larry's commitment to excellence and passion for quality in each of the business groups have made Levy Restaurants one of the fastest growing foodservice companies in America.
From its base in Chicago, Levy Restaurants pioneered the concept of premium dining in sports and entertainment venues back in 1982. From its base of award-winning restaurants, including Spiaggia and Bistro 110 in Chicago, and Fulton's Crab House and Portobello Yacht Club at Walt Disney World Resort, the company has grown to 64 sports and entertainment locations including convention facilities, music/performance venues, and stadiums and arenas for all major sports leagues in 37 markets worldwide. Throughout the company's 25 year history, Levy Restaurants has hosted and continues to cater events such as the Kentucky Derby, World Series, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, Super Bowl, GRAMMY Awards, and the NHL and NBA All-Star Games.
Larry's vision for real estate has also guided many of Chicago's major real estate projects in the last three decades including: One Magnificent Mile, Woodfield Lake Office Campus, Waterfall Glen Office Park, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Center and Butterfield Center for Business. The Levy Organization is currently the managing partner for River Bend, a two million square foot mixed use development on the Chicago River and for One South Dearborn, the new home offices of Sidley, Austin, Brown and Wood.
Larry has been recognized by his industry and peers with numerous awards including: the 1999 IFMA Gold Plate Award as Restaurateur of the Year in the United States as well as the Ivy Award, the restaurant industry's Academy Award, in 1992 for Spiaggia, for Bistro 110 in 1993, and in 2003, the Sports & Entertainment Group received the first Ivy Award ever given to a sports and entertainment foodservice company. Larry was awarded the prestigious Northwestern University Alumni Award in 1982, the Kellogg School's Shaffner Award in 2003, and was honored by the creation of an annual student enterprise, which funds The Larry Levy Entrepreneur Scholarships at Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He and his wife Carol also founded the Levy Institute of Entrepreneurial Practice at Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Most recently, SportsBusiness Journal included Larry in its ranking of the "20 Most Influential People in Sports Facilities."
St. Louis-born, Larry's love for Chicago was inspired and cultivated during his days at Northwestern University, where he received his B.S. in 1966 and his M.B.A. in 1967. Larry's commitment to Chicago and its ongoing development continues through his varied personal and professional contributions to Chicago's business and charitable communities. Larry was the Chairman of the Chicago Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization, and is currently on the Board of Directors of Burrell Communications, Northern Trust's Hedge Fund and the Chicago Central Area Committee. Serving the community, he is a director of the Chicagoland Association of Commerce and Industry, a member of the Board of Advisors of Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lincoln Park Zoo and Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation. Larry also served on the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee for 6 years, later acting as its Chairman.
Larry received St. Coletta's Crystallus Award in recognition the company's charitable contributions nationwide and the Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League. In 2001, Larry received Ernst & Young's Master Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Illinois.