Team
Michael L. Atkinson | Managing Director
Principal
Michael L. Atkinson has 30 years of business experience as an entrepreneur, senior-level executive and investment banker in consumer industries. Beginning as a restaurant manager with Victoria Station, Inc. in 1977, Michael has made a career of working with promising young companies and advising corporate executives on business matters dealing with strategy, expansion, corporate finance, corporate development, concept creation, real estate, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and franchising, among other matters. In connection with this, Michael has participated in over 100 investment and business advisory assignment as investment banker, corporate financial adviser and/or registered investment adviser to companies operating in technology, food and beverage, retail, restaurant, financial services, franchising, entertainment, sports and leisure, media, and Internet industries. Michael has originated and closed many domestic and international strategic partnerships and financing in Europe and Asia as both a principal and agent.
Michael began his finance career at Shearson Lehman Bros. in New York City in 1984. Starting as a financial consultant, Michael then worked in the debt securities group in NYC and Albany, NY, becoming an analyst and then an Investment Banking associate. In 1988 Michael co-founded Stanford Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based boutique investment bank and money management firm specializing in advising emerging technology and consumer sector companies and, high net worth investors on money management strategies. Over the next several years, Michael was a transaction-oriented senior investment banker specializing in the consumer sector; financing and advising high growth companies primarily in the specialty retail, food, beverage, entertainment and chain restaurant industries.
In the late 1990′s, Michael headed the concept development, real estate site selection and project financing for Kokomo Entertainment Corporation, a company owned by legendary Beach Boy co-founder, songwriter and performing artist Mike Love. Michael worked closely with Mike as he created Mike Love’s Club Kokomo, the Beach Boy’s 23,000 sq. ft. restaurant, club and live concert venue [a version of the House of Blues]. During this time, Michael helped craft the Kokomo concept, structure the private offering and develop the expansion strategy, assembled a world class team of strategic advisers including Celebrity Chef Bradley Ogden; sourced real estate sites and secured private debt capital. Along the way, Michael created and co-produced the first ever-interactive multi media private placement on CD-ROM, bringing the Club Kokomo concept and offering to digital life. In 1996, leveraging this technology, Michael formed a joint venture with pioneers in the digital publishing industry to reinvent how private placements and M&A selling documents are produced and delivered to prospective purchasers.
From 1997 to 2005, Michael held senior-level executive positions at Next Century Restaurants, Inc, the operator of four and five star celebrity chef Michael Mina restaurants in San Francisco and Las Vegas; SteppingStone Capital Partners, LLC, a private equity fund-less sponsor and; Cheeseburger in Paradise, a developer and operator of famous restaurants in Hawaii, Las Vegas and Florida.
As an entrepreneur, Michael has been featured on the cover of Inc. magazine, Billboard, Restaurants & Institutions and Nations Restaurant News among other publications. Michael is a published author, writing PPMemo™, the first instructional CD and book on drafting private placement memorandums under Regulation D.
Michael attended the University of Nevada-Reno and the State University of New York-SUNY graduate program in Albany, NY; held NASD securities certifications Series 7 and 63, and is a former Registered Investment Adviser. Michael is co-founder President & CEO of fohboh, Inc, and founding Principal at Bailiwick Capital Partners, LLC.
Michael A. Nahkunst | Principal
Principal
Mr. Nahkunst brings more than 30 years of progressively responsible senior operations and executive management experience in the restaurant industry with a reputation of building such top-rated brands as Brinker/Chili’s & Cheesecake Factory. Most recently Mr. Nahkunst held the position of COO at Max & Erma’s in Columbus, Ohio. In this capacity, Mike was a key member of the turn-around team that resulted in a go-private and sale to a third-party
Prior to this, and until 2005, Mr. Nahkunst was COO for BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ (symbol: BJRI), which operates the BJ’s Restaurant chain of casual dining restaurants. Mr. Nahkunst joined BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (formerly known as Chicago Pizza and Brewery, Inc.) in early 2002 when the company had only 21 stores and $64 million in annual sales and assisted in growing the chain to over 40 restaurants with approximately $150 million in sales. Mr. Nahkunst spearheaded key strategic operational and corporate development plans by ramping up annual growth rate to 30% and strengthening the infrastructure which resulted in annual profitability increases in excess of 80%. The company currently has a market cap of approximately $600 million with over 38 quarters of positive comparable store sales since it’s IPO in 1996.
Prior to BJ’s, and from 1999 to early 2002, Mr. Nahkunst was Co-Founder and President of Big Rock Restaurant Group, Inc. a restaurant investment, management and consulting company based in Westlake Village, California. The company focused on identifying highly qualified performing restaurant concepts and provided consulting and advisory services including commercial banks for their restaurant loan portfolios.
From 1997 to 1999 Mr. Nahkunst was EVP and COO of The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. a publicly-traded casual dining company listed on the (NASDAQ: CAKE ). He joined Cheesecake Factory with only 18 restaurants and revenues of $208 million and net income of almost $10 million. The company expanded and grew under his direction to over 38 restaurants and $348 million in sales and $22 million in net income. Today the company has sales revenues that are rated at the top of all casual dining restaurants with over $1,000 per square foot. The company currently has a market cap of approximately $3.0 billion with revenues of $1.2 billion.
Prior to his appointment at The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. Mr. Nahkunst was President of Wildfire Enterprises, a Dallas-based restaurant investment and consulting firm. During this period from 1994 to 1997 he became an investor and partner in several highly successful restaurant development concepts such as Southend Brewery and Smokehouse, Bailey’s Sports Grille, Fox & Hound and Total Entertainment Restaurant Corporation (NASDAQ: TENT). In addition, Mr. Nahkunst participated as a Board member for Kelsey’s International, Inc., a 98 unit casual dining restaurant chain that was publicly held in Canada.
Between 1977 and 1994, Mr. Nahkunst spent 17 years with Chili’s Inc./Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) in contributing to the growth of one of the largest publicly held restaurant company’s in existence today. Mr. Nahkunst left The University of Texas in Austin to join the original management team at Chili’s with the very first store. He served as Vice President of Chili’s operations from 1984 to 1987 and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Chili’s operations in 1987. As Senior Vice President of Chili’s Mr. Nahkunst was responsible for sales revenues growing to over $345 million and 150 restaurants in 1987 from the single unit in 1977. When the company changed its name to Brinker International, Inc. in 1992 and became a company with multi-restaurant concepts (Macaroni Grill, Grady’s American Grill, & On The Border) Mr. Nahkunst was elevated to Senior Vice President of New Concept Development for the company. In addition he was a member of Brinker International’s Executive Committee and continued to play a key role in building the brands to the size of a $1.6 Billion company with over 54,000 employees until his departure in 1994. Currently Brinker International has a $4 billion enterprise value with $4 billion in revenues and a system of approximately 1,600 restaurants globally.
Larry DuLittle | Principal
Principal
Larry DuLittle has over 30 years of Restaurant experience encompassing all phases, starting with Victoria Station, Inc. in 1974. His career began learning all front of house job functions, then learning all back of house positions including Kitchen Manager. This led to management duties as an Assistant Manager, General Manager, and a Regional Floater Manager position. During this time Larry was provided the opportunity to work in 6 states, open 4 units, trouble shoot, recommend and solve operational deficiencies.
This experience led to him developing, and operating Restaurants in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, as co-founder and owner. He was instrumental in writing the menus, recipes, specs, writing training manuals, staff development, and operating procedures, as well as serving as General Manager.
After a successful run, he turned to Restaurant Consulting, and successfully completed projects from concept development thru opening. Larry has also consulted on numerous Restaurants on a variety on issues, from design, to menu development, as well as quality assurance, training, and security.
Larry then returned to operations as General Manager, and Director of Operations, and then on to corporate concepts such as Applebee’s, Red Robin, and most recently LaSalsa Fresh Mexican Gill as Regional Director overseeing both quick casual, full service restaurants, and as a franchise consultant for the past nine years.
Through these experiences he has excelled in all levels from quick casual, to casual theme, to high end dining. He has vast experience in food as well as bar operations. Larry has also many years experience managing multi units, and as a franchise business consultant.
Most recently, Larry lead the development and opening of Urban Tavern, a 2 1/2 star restaurant located at the San Francisco Hilton, in partnership with Blackstone Group. Larry acted as consultant to C&L Partners Chef Laurent Manrique and Chris Condy.
Larry graduated from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management in 1975.
