CO-FOUNDER, TABLEAU KITCHEN & BAR, TOAST KITCHEN & BAKERY
WHY: Co-creator of one of Orange County’s most beloved comfort food restaurants: Toast Kitchen & Bakery in Costa Mesa.
IN THE NEWS: Ed Lee and Park opened Tableau Kitchen & Bar in South Coast Plaza in January. A second Toast Kitchen being added in Tustin, near the city’s historic blimp hangars.
NOTABLE: Named Business Journal’s Restaurateur of the Year for 2022. Restaurants give back to the community and then some, from donating a percent of proceeds to charity to hiring homeless individuals, vets, and others in need of a job.
QUOTABLE: Says Lee of his business partner: “I am surprised John has not won some sort of Humanitarian of the Year award. He deserves it.”
