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Kerry Kramp recently named President and CEO for Sizzler USA (http://www.sizzler.com/), is a 30 year veteran of the food service industry, having earned a reputation as one of the nation's leading restaurant executives. Until November 2004, Mr. Kramp was CEO of Buffets, Inc., the $1 billion parent company of the family oriented buffet restaurants known as Old Country Buffet and HomeTown Buffet, with over 370 restaurants in 38 states, ending a 13 year run.
At Buffets, Mr. Kramp led the company through a successful going-private transaction which closed in October 2000, led by a leading private equity firm Caxton-Iseman Capital of New York, NY , and affiliate of Caxton Associates, in conjunction with a group of investors, including Buffets' management and Sentinel Capital. Under Mr. Kramp's leadership, Buffets reached a major milestone in 2000 surpassing sales volume of $1 billion, with an employee base of approximately 25,000 employees.
Mr. Kramp started his restaurant career with Steak and Ale Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio where he was a restaurant manager from 1977 through 1979 when he left to attend the Culinary Institute of America. From 1980 through 1985, he was the Director, and later Vice President of Food and Beverage for Chi-Chi's Inc. From 1985 to 1986, Mr. Kramp created a quick serve chicken concept while serving as Vice President of Food Operations for CloverLeaf Group, a consulting and real estate firm in Los Angeles . From 1986 to 1988 Kerry was Chief Operating Officer and co-founder (along with former Miss America Phyllis George) of CHICKEN BY GEORGE, Inc., a company that created and marketed a retail chicken product line. When the Geo. A. Hormel Company acquired CHICKEN BY GEORGE in 1988, Kramp became Hormel's Director of Specialty Foods.
Mr. Kramp joined HomeTown Buffet, Inc. as VP of Operations in 1992 when the company had two locations and assumed increasing levels of responsibility during his 13 year tenure, becoming President in 1995. While serving as President, Kerry led the merger of HomeTown's with Buffets in 1996, and served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Buffets, Inc. from 1996 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer on May 30, 2000. In addition, Kerry was elected to the Board of Directors of HomeTown Buffet in 1995 and to the Board of Directors of Buffets, Inc. in 2000.
Currently Mr. Kramp is the Founder and President of Level 5 Ventures, LLC. a Restaurant and Food Service Holding Company created to develop and expand consumer oriented food service companies through Joint Ventures and Franchising. In addition, Mr. Kramp serves as a Senior Operating Advisor to Circle Peak Capital, a private equity firm based in New York focused on the consumer segment. Mr. Kramp will represent Circle Peak on the Board of Directors of Shari's Restaurants, the largest full service family restaurant chain in the Pacific Northwest,
Mr. Kramp has received the NRN Golden Chain Award (2003) and was named IFMA's Silver Plate Award Winner in Chain Full Service (2002) and was recipient of the CHART Commitment to People Award (2002. Mr. Kramp is also a member of the Advisory Council for the Elliot Leadership Institute, a recent inductee as a Fellow of the Culinary Institute of America, and has been honored at the Ohio State University as a distinguished alumnus. Mr. Kramp lives in Minneapolis , MN and remains active in the restaurant industry through a number of Advisory and Board Affiliations.
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