Paul Fleming (restaurateur)

Paul Fleming is an American restaurateur. He has developed a number of restaurant chains, including P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar,Pei Wei Asian Diner, Z’Tejas Grills, and Paul Martin's American Grill.

The New Iberia, Louisiana native grew up with a love of food, enjoying squab among other things, and first worked in the hospitality industry while a student at Loyola University in New Orleans. His first job in the restaurant industry was at a local restaurant called Saturday’s. He began as a dishwasher and progressed to become a busboy, server, bartender and finally, the manager. It is unknown if he graduated from college.

Fleming is the P.F. in P.F. Chang's China Bistro, which he co-founded with Philip Chiang. This restaurant chain made its debut in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993. He then built the infrastructure that led the company to national expansion and a public offering. He also conceptualized Pei Wei Asian Diner, a casual, quick-service offshoot of P.F. Chang's.

Together with partner Bill Allen, Fleming developed another restaurant chain that bears his name: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, which started in 1998 in Newport Beach, California. Fleming's is operated as a joint venture with Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN.O) and has grown to 65 locations across the U.S.

In 2006 Fleming began tinkering with a new concept, Paul Martin's American Grill, with restaurant industry veteran Brian Bennett. Specializing in all-natural American cuisine, the first grill opened in 2007 in Roseville, California. In 2014, there were seven of these restaurants in California, one in Arizona, and plans for expanding to more markets.

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