Robert Spivak

Robert Spivak is co-founder and co-chairman, former president and chief executive officer, for Grill Concepts, Inc., a company that was originally formed in 1988, and became publicly held in 1995. Grill Concepts, Inc. currently operates 20 Daily Grill restaurants throughout Southern and Northern California, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Oregon and Washington. In addition, there are 7 The Grill on the Alley restaurants, which are located in Beverly Hills CA, Hollywood CA, San Jose CA, Westlake Village CA, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, and Aventura FL.

Robert, who is a 45-year veteran of the restaurant and food industry, comes from a family that ran restaurants in Los Angeles from 1946 to 1972. Robert began his career working in the family-owned chain of Smokey Joe’s barbecue restaurants. After school, he managed several of the family’s operations, including the landmark Redwood House in the Los Angeles Civic Center. Robert left the family business to manage the food operations at the Fedco discount department stores and, along with the owners of Fedco Foods, he developed the much-copied Soup N’ Such restaurant chain.

In the early 1980s, Robert formed a partnership with Michael Weinstock and Dick Shapiro to open the highly successful Beverly Hills restaurant, The Grill on the Alley, a traditional American grill with the by-words, “Quality Without Compromise.”  The Grill was inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame by  Nation’s Restaurant News in 1995.  Considered one of Los Angeles’ “power spots,” The Grill is the upscale model for the Daily Grill, a concept based on the high-quality food and service at a price point that reaches a far wider audience.  In 1965, Bob was appointed to the California delegation to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.  He served on the commission for 3 years.

Robert, a director for the California Restaurant Association, was also the director and past chairman of the Board of Advisors for The Collins College of Hospitality Management. Robert is also past chairman of the California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF), and has served on the Board of Directors for the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. In September 2000, Robert received the  Spirit of Life Award, which is the most prestigious award given by the City of Hope. In 2004, Robert was awarded the California Restaurant Association’s  Elizabeth Burns Lifetime Achievement Award. Robert was also selected by the California Restaurant Association as their  2006/2007 California Restaurateur of the Year. Robert and his wife Leslie are recipients of the 2006 Robert Mondavi Wine & Food Award.

Robert is co-founder of the restaurant development firm, Spivak and Frank.  They assist people in developing and opening restaurant concepts.  They have worked with Dunkin Donuts, Baskin’ Robbins, Take A Bao, Kichi Grill, and Lucky Robata Grill.

Robert lives with his wife Leslie in Brentwood, California. They have four children, Todd (45), Dayna (43), Jason (42) and Elissa (40), and 10 grandchildren: Sydney, Jordan, Alex, Sam, Ethan, Jack, Wes, Emma, Sylvie and Carlye. His hobbies are golf, traveling, work and cooking for friends and family.

Company Profile

Grill Concepts is the corporate entity behind the highly successful Daily Grill Restaurants. The Company began in 1984, when partners Dick Shapiro, Bob Spivak, and Mike Weinstock opened The Grill, a classic American cuisine restaurant located in Beverly Hills.  The Grill on the Alley, as it is officially known, was modeled after the great grills of New York and San Francisco by offering first-rate cuisine, attentive service, and a familiar, dignified atmosphere. The response was tremendous and led to the evolution of The Daily Grill. A casual version of its predecessor, The Daily Grill offers a familiar setting with attentive service and simply prepared American dishes at sensible prices.

The Daily Grill currently has 10 locations in California and establishments in Virginia, and 2 in Washington, D.C., with more to open soon in locations across the country. The original restaurant, The Grill (on the Alley) now has three locations: Beverly Hills and San Jose, California, with the third location located on Chicago's Michigan Avenue.