Steve and Melissa Ritchie’s newly formed company adds five-unit restaurant brand to national expansion plans.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 21, 2020) – – – Steve Ritchie, former President & CEO of Papa John’s International, announced today the purchase of LouVino Restaurant and Wine Bars, with five locations across Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, as the first investment of recently established Endeavor Restaurant Group, where he serves as founder and CEO. Steve and his wife, Melissa, purchased LouVino from Chad & Lauren Coulter who created the brand in 2014.
Headquartered in Louisville, Endeavor Restaurant Group will target acquisitions of distinct restaurant concepts with specially crafted menus and differentiated experiences across multiple dining segments.
“Although these are clearly challenging times, I’m very excited to launch Endeavor because I strongly believe in the long-term resilience of the restaurant industry and its importance for so many people across the country,” said Steve. “We aspire to build a purpose driven company made up of great brands developed by inspired people with a passion for excellence.”
Steve is a 25-year restaurant industry veteran, spending most of his professional career at Papa John’s. The Louisville native joined the pizza restaurant giant as an hourly customer service representative and over the next two decades worked his way up through senior operational roles to ultimately become President and COO in 2015. He became CEO in 2017 and departed the company in 2019 to start his new venture. He also owned franchises in Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana.
Melissa spent the last 15 years with Papa John’s International, leading new product development initiatives, with her last role being senior director of research & development and menu innovation. Melissa will serve as head of menu strategy & innovation for Endeavor, bringing 25 years of restaurant operations and product innovation experience to the company.
“We are really excited to embark on this next chapter of our careers with the acquisition of a restaurant concept we have loved for many years,” said Melissa.
Endeavor plans to retain all the LouVino staff including executive chef Tavis Rockwell as culinary director; Michael Henry, who is a certified level 2 Sommelier, as director of operations and beverage and Kelly Rains as director of marketing and events. For more information, visit Louvino.com.
Endeavor was represented in the transaction by Louisville-based mergers and acquisitions advisory firm Impact Acquisition.
About LouVino:
LouVino’s reinvented Southern-inspired cuisine focuses on shareable small plates complemented by approachable, yet refined wines in new interpretations, including more than 60 options by the glass. The restaurant has five locations with two locations in Louisville at 1606 Bardstown Rd. in the Highlands and 11400 Main St. in Douglass Hills; two in Indiana at 530 Massachusetts Ave in Indianapolis and 8626 E. 116th St. in The Switch in Fishers; and one in Cincinnati at 1142 Main Street in Over the Rhine. All feature indoor and outdoor seating, wine flights, a variety of signature cocktails and dinner in a warm rustic, modern atmosphere. Lunch and brunch are also offered at select locations. For hours and more information, visit www.LouVino.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
