Sunnyside Restaurant Group names Michael Sternberg president

Sunnyside Restaurant Group, parent to Good Stuff Eatery, Santa Rosa Taqueria and other concepts, has named industry veteran Michael Sternberg as president, the company said this week.

Washington, D.C.-based SRG, created by chef Spike Mendelsohn and his family, said Sternberg will oversee operations of the current 14 restaurants as well as oversee expansion opportunities.

Sternberg most recently served as CEO of Sternberg Hospitality, full-service consulting company with a clientele ranging from investment firms to fast-casual restaurant concepts and Michelin-starred restaurants.

“I enjoyed my consulting practice very much, but the chance to join the Mendelsohn family in growing the company, while continuing their legacy of operational excellence, was too great an opportunity to pass up,” said Sternberg, left, in a statement.  “The restaurant concepts, the food quality and the operational standards are superb and are well-suited to growth in almost every market.”

Previously, Sternberg served as CEO of Rare Steakhouses, a fine-dining company with restaurants in the District of Columbia and Wisconsin. Sternberg earlier worked with Morton’s of Chicago, was managing director of The Occidental and founded Sam & Harry’s, The Caucus Room and Harry’s Tap Rooms and served as restaurant division president of Centerplate Inc., the contract foodservice company that is now Sodexo Live.

Micheline Mendelsohn, co-founder and principal of Sunnyside Restaurant Group, said, “Having worked with Michael for the last year and a half on a variety of projects, we got to know his talents first-hand. My parents and I are thrilled to have him join our team permanently. We are all energized to take Sunnyside to the next level of growth and distinction.”

Sunnyside Restaurant Group is a family-run team of restaurateurs, financial experts, professional chefs and public relations experts who have been in the hospitality industry for five generations. The family includes Harvey, Cathy, Micheline and Spike Mendelsohn.

SRG’s restaurants include the Good Stuff Eatery, Santa Rosa Taqueria and We, The Pizza.

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