St. Louis restaurateur Dave Bailey was recently named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 award winner for the Central Midwest region. The honor, presented June 25 at a ceremony in Overland Park, Kansas, recognizes individuals who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses. Bailey was one of seven winners from the Central Midwest region, which includes Missouri and Kansas.
The victory makes Bailey eligible for the national EY Entrepreneur of the Year award, to be announced in November. Bailey is one of several hundred winners from 25 regions who are vying a national title. He is also among just a handful of regional winners who hailed from the hospitality industry, including celeb chef Jose Andres, whose ThinkFoodGroup has grown into a dining empire, and the Greek cuisine-focused Cava Mezze Restaurant Group. Both are from the Greater Washington region.
“I was extremely excited. I didn’t go to (the gala) expecting to win because of the extraordinary group of people I was against, so I was thrilled when it was announced,” Bailey said. “I wouldn’t be anywhere without my staff. It really comes down to the people.”
The award came just one day after Bailey announced his seventh, and possibly most innovative dining concept, Shift, Test Kitchen & Take Out. Slated to open in September, Shift will be a takeout-only lunchtime restaurant offering menu items in development for future Bailey restaurants.
Bailey entered the dining scene with Baileys’ Chocolate Bar in 2004. The Baileys’ family of restaurants has since grown to include two Rooster locations, Bridge, Baileys’ Range, Small Batch and The Fifth Wheel. A to-be named barbecue restaurant and rooftop bar are in the works for 2016.
-photo by Jonathan Pollack
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2015.