About Smith Brothers Restaurant Corporation
BOB & GREGG SMITH
Proprietors
Bob Smith and his brother Gregg, were born and raised in Los Angeles. Over the past 30 years, they have become prominent restaurateurs in Southern California. While a passion for food may be an underlying motivation, their remarkable success is attributed to balancing that passion with sound business practices and a commitment to their customers.
Bob attended UCLA School of Engineering then went on to USC where he graduated with a degree in dentistry. After starting the first restaurant he attended Harvard Business School where he received a certificate from their Owner/President Manager Program. Upon graduating from Brigham Young University, Gregg began a career in advertising and public relations while his older brother practiced dentistry. Gregg began working at various Southland restaurants, and in 1974 the two brothers opened one of their own, a steakhouse called Reflections in the hillside suburb of La Canada. The restaurant incorporated many innovations for family restaurants of that era, including a more diverse menu and wine list, as well as higher service standards and a commitment to customer satisfaction that would become the Smith brothers' signature in years to come. Subsequent branches of Reflections were opened in Glendale in 1977, followed by Yucca Valley in 1980. During the early '80s, the Smiths managed several restaurants for others before opening their acclaimed Parkway Grill in 1984.
Parkway Grill, which was quickly nicknamed "the Spago of Pasadena," instantly became the premier dining destination in the Rose City. In addition, Parkway Grill has continued to receive critical acclaim for serving contemporary California Cuisine over the last twenty years despite dramatically increased competition. Its California Cuisine laced with international and regional American influences, exhibition kitchen with wood-fired oven, and outstanding wine list pioneered contemporary dining in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.
Subsequent fine dining concepts developed by the Smith brothers included the Arroyo Chop House, opened in 1997; and Ducz, a cutting-edge Asian fusion restaurant, which debuted in 2001. Ducz was critically acclaimed but a bit ahead of its time with the Pasadena public. It was replaced the following year with Smitty's Grill, a moderately priced tribute to American comfort food that has become one of the area's most popular restaurants. The first Crocodile Cafe, an innovative casual concept for California cuisine, opened on Pasadena's Lake Avenue in 1987. Currently, there are three other locations, in Glendale, San Diego and San Jose. In December 2003, the Smith brothers teamed with jazz great Herb Alpert to open Vibrato Grill Jazz...etc., in Bel-Air, which combined contemporary dining concepts with a state-of-the-art performance venue. Smith Brothers Restaurant Corporation, founded in 1997, manages these diverse properties as well as a substantial catering operation. The company's portfolio of restaurants is poised to grow, as innovative new ventures are currently being explored.
The brothers' "House of Yes" concept represents their philosophy of emphasizing service and satisfaction for every restaurant guest. As Bob Smith suggests, "You have to solve all of the customers' problems...if you don't, they'll find someone else who will." As a result, managers are given considerable authority to accommodate special requests, which has resulted in a fiercely loyal clientele at all of the Smiths' dining venues.
The brothers are major philanthropists in the San Gabriel Valley. Over the past twenty years, the annual Parkway Grill Fall Food & Wine Festival, which brings together dozens of restaurants and wineries, has raised $2 million for the Center for Trauma Care at Pasadena's Huntington Memorial Hospital.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW, PLEASE CALL SMITH BROTHERS RESTAURANT CORPORATION 626.577.2400
