Sam Fox has left the company that bears his name. The Phoenix-based restaurateur exited Fox Restaurant Concepts at the end of October, nearly 30 years after opening Wildflower in Tucson in 1998 as a college dropout.
FRC grew to 22 brands, including Culinary Dropout, The Henry, and Flower Child, with 170 restaurants and more than 9,000 employees.
The Cheesecake Factory bought FRC in 2019 for $353 million, and Fox says he always knew he’d eventually hand it off. He calls the moment ‘‘bittersweet.’’
Focus on hospitality
Now he’s all-in on Author & Edit Hospitality, the company behind The Global Ambassador, which debuted in 2023 on the northwest corner of 44th Street and Camelback in Phoenix.
The 141-room luxury hotel features five food and drink concepts, led by Mediterranean rooftop restaurant Theà and Parisian steakhouse Le Âme.
Next up for Fox
A lower-priced little sibling hotel in Phoenix, a standalone Théa in Dallas, a Twelve Thirty Club in Austin, and more Global Ambassadors nationwide.
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