[See http://www.rosepistolasf.com for details. Perry]
http://www.rosepistolasf.com/about_us_management.shtml
"As an owner of two successful restaurants and an avid
equestrian, Laurie Thomas is constantly jumping over
hurdles and finding rewards on the other side. Thomas
was the lead investor in both of the restaurants she
manages today: Rose Pistola & Rose’s Café. In 1996,
she financed and helped to open Rose Pistola, which
subsequently won the prestigious James Beard award for
the Best New Restaurant in America. A year later, she
led the financing of Rose’s Café, and in 1998 she was
an investor in The Black Cat. After a successful
career as a high tech executive, Thomas joined Nice
Ventures (the company that is the General Partner and
manages the restaurants) full time in early 2001. She
managed the business through the severe industry
downturn in the months following the tragedy of
September 11th and ensured the survival of the
restaurants.
In March 2002, Thomas replaced the celebrity-chef Reed
Hearon as President and CEO of Nice Ventures. In this
role, she led the company through a successful
reorganization, which included the closing and selling
of The Black Cat restaurant, restructuring the two
remaining restaurants, and buying out Hearon’s
ownership in Nice Ventures. After stabilizing the
business, Thomas set her sights on growth. Her
commitment to using organic and sustainable products
from local vendors earned her an invitation in 2004 to
open a Saturday booth for Rose Pistola at the
acclaimed Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market. The booth
became an instant hit, and was recently recognized in
the September 2005 Bon Appetit Magazine.
Today, Nice Ventures employs 160 people, and Thomas is
gearing up to open a third restaurant: Terzo (“third”
in Italian). Slated to open in December 2005, Terzo
will draw on influences from Spain, Italy, Portugal,
and Morocco to create a pan-Mediterranean experience.
To ensure the food’s authenticity, Thomas recently
spent time with her chef, project manager, and
architect visiting these countries, sampling the food,
and walking the open-air farmers markets.
When she is not growing her restaurants, Thomas is
committed to giving bac to the San Francisco
community. She is an active board member of Meals on
Wheels, a non-profit focused on feeding and providing
services for San Francisco's home bound seniors.
Additionally, she oversees her restaurants' charity
programs, which give generously year year to local and
national non-profits. Earlier in her professional
life, Thomas held senior management positions in
Silicon Valley at several enterprise software
companies. She earned a BS in Industrial Engineering
from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard
Business School. Thomas enjoys show-jumping horses
competitively, skiing, travel, food, and wine."