ABOUT RESTAURANT ENTREPRENEUR | About the Principals

Only about 1 of every 10 restaurateurs builds a business that has any value beyond the location/lease. In just a few short years, 9 of 10 dreams are dashed.

The job of RESTAURANT ENTREPRENEUR is to provide all the knowledge needed to engineer out as much risk as possible from this inherently risky enterprise. Our books and seminars complement one another and are designed to make its readers & participants into The Tenth Entrepreneur.



Most restaurateurs come from a hospitality background and mind set. These characteristics are critically important; after all, the restaurant business is based on service.

However the "restaurant business" is not the same as the "business of restaurants". The former is generally an imagining of a dream job with your own schedule and the luxury of making your own decisions. Putting the business aspect first recognizes that making decisions is not often luxurious and that your enterprise can fail even if it excels at culinary and service matters.

Often restaurateurs believe they are so talented that they can make up in operations what they lost in poor early-stage preparation. The truth, though is that the success of your restaurant is largely determined before you serve your first meal.

THE RESTAURANT ENTREPRENEUR PRINCIPALS back to top

Kep Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer
Kep Sweeney is the founder of Acceleron Group, a turnaround company that works primarily in the hospitality industry as well as the author of The New Restaurant Entrepreneur.

He has 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry as an investment banking analyst, restaurateur and chef. Mr. Sweeney holds a Master in Business from the Kenan-Flager Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He has been a guest on CNNFN, CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Good Morning Tampa Bay and featured or quoted in many national publications, including Crain's NY, The Financial Times, Bon Appétit, Food and Wine, and Travel & Leisure.

David Housey, CPA, President
David Housey works with Acceleron Group, a consultancy, advising clients in the hospitality industry. Mr. Housey has been a restaurant industry analyst at Robertson Stephens and SG Cowen.

Formerly, he worked in the restaurant industry, conducting and publishing market research while co-managing a private equity fund with investment in various restaurants. Previous employment includes commercial lending and public accounting.

He has been published in Nation's Restaurant News and Crain's New York Business. Mr. Housey earned his C.P.A. certificate in 1992, his M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University in 1999 and his B.A. in accounting from Michigan State University in 1989.

Jeff Pappas, Director of Sales and Operations
Jeff Pappas has more than twenty years of entrepreneurial experience with a strong focus on the restaurant industry. He has held executive positions with multiple growth brands with responsibility for recruiting, training, unit expansion, franchising and all facets of operations. Jeff has particular skill in start up and turn around scenarios.

In 1994, Jeff was nominated “Entrepreneur of the Year” in a nationwide contest sponsored by Inc. magazine, Merrill Lynch and Ernst & Young. He has developed, coordinated and promoted both local and national events including fundraisers and seminars. Jeff created seminar curriculum, oversaw marketing campaigns and managed relationships with both sponsors and staff.

Jeff earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University (Granville, Ohio) in 1976.

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