LOS ANGELES Craig S. Miller, chairman, president and chief executive of Ruth's Chris Steak House Inc., was named Operator of the Year at the gala awards banquet concluding the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference here Tuesday night.
Miller was selected by the readers of Nation's Restaurant News from among the six Golden Chain award winners, who were chosen by the newspaper’s editors. Along with Miller, this year's Golden Chain honorees were Paul Clayton, chief executive of Jamba Juice; Gerard T. Gabrys, president and chief executive of Guest Services Inc.; Linda A. Lang, chairman and chief executive of Jack in the Box Inc.; Zach McLeroy, chief executive and chairman of Zaxby's Chicken Restaurants; and Nick Vojnovic, president of Beef 'O' Brady's.
Also honored at the MUFSO banquet was this year's Pioneer Award winner, Golden Corral founder James Maynard.
Upon receiving the award, Miller said it was the highlight of his career. Still, he was quick to credit the entire Ruth’s Chris team and said he was dedicated to carrying on the legacy of the chain's late founder, Ruth Fertel.
“I don’t think about it as an individual award at all, but instead this is possible because of what we’ve all been able to do with Ruth’s legacy on how you treat people,” he said.
Miller, a Vietnam veteran and a former chairman of the National Restaurant Association, said he started in the industry at age 13 as a dishwasher and to this day thinks a profession in the industry is one of the noblest a person can have.
“People in this industry are dedicated every day to serving good food and making people happy,” he said. “It makes the job easy.”
Randy Schoch, a longtime Ruth’s Chris franchisee whose Desert Island Restaurants operates five units in Hawaii, said it came as no surprise to him that Miller took home the award.
“Craig has shown tremendous industry leadership with his tenure at the NRA and at the other restaurant companies he has been involved in. He also got the company through the horrendous experience of Hurricane Katrina,” he said.
Ruth’s Chris was based in Metairie, La., near New Orleans, at the time the devastating hurricane hit. Miller and his executive team decided to relocate headquarters to Heathrow, Fla, just outside Orlando.
Schoch said Miller has been instrumental in Ruth’s Chris tremendous growth after some stagnant years, including a strong push to go international. He noted that Ruth’s Chris is in the process of opening a store in Tokyo, its 12th international location.
The MUFSO conference, presented by Nation’s Restaurant News, draws together high-level restaurant executives and suppliers. This year’s meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles, drew more than 1,000 attendees.
When Miller joined Ruth's Chris in 2004, he brought with him more than 40 years of full-service restaurant experience, including a number of years at what is now Darden Restaurants Inc., the parent of Red Lobster. He later served in a high-level post at Pizzeria Uno.
During his year as NRA chairman, Miller said, he built great relationships with operators during his travel across the country.
Ruth's Chris operates or franchises 109 steakhouses worldwide
