Brio Italian Grill and Bravo Italian Kitchen have hired restaurant veteran Craig Miller as their new CEO.
Miller has spent decades in the restaurant industry, including 11 years at General Mills’ restaurant division and more than 17 as CEO of Uno Restaurants. But he has not held a permanent executive role with a restaurant chain since 2008, when he was CEO of Ruth’s Chris.
Since then, Miller has served as commissioner of Florida’s tourist commission and Central Florida’s Commission for the Homeless; ran for Congress; owned and invested in a handful of restaurants; and acted as a board member and advisor to several restaurant companies, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was also interim CEO of Bar Louie from 2020 to 2022.
At Brio and Bravo, the sister casual-dining chains owned by Earl Enterprises, he will oversee growth and work to improve brand positioning and operations.
Earl Enterprises acquired the chains in 2020 after their former parent, FoodFirst Global Holdings, filed for bankruptcy. Brio has 31 locations nationwide and Bravo has 25.
“[Miller’s] unparalleled expertise and strategic vision are poised to propel our beloved brands to new heights,” said Robert Earl, owner of Earl Enterprises, in a statement. "Craig's extensive background across various dining concepts and his proven track record of financial and operational success will undoubtedly be an asset to Bravo and Brio restaurants.”
Miller has experience growing restaurants from small concepts into large chains. While at General Mills, he helped grow St. Louis-based Casa Gallardo from one location to 34 and later took Uno from five units to 225 and an initial public offering. He also took Ruth’s Chris through an IPO in 2005.
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