Steven Schussler

Steven Schussler, well-known as the creator of the Rainforest Cafe®, is an innovator with the passion and artistic vision for conceiving concepts which appeals to the masses. Embracing imagination, Steven and his team create restaurants, retail stores, theatrical venues, attractions, and experiences unlike any other! A master at multi-juggling, Steven is a World’s Premiere Branding Expert, Consultant, Entrepreneur, Restaurateur, Teacher, Motivational Speaker and National Bestselling Author of “It’s A Jungle In There, Inspiring Lessons, Hard-won Insights and Other Acts of Entrepreneurial Daring”.

Starting his entrepreneurial career early with a paper route at nine years old, Steven reinvented himself many times with more than a dozen jobs before his sixteenth birthday. As an executive in the television and broadcast industry, he learned to sell intangible concepts. His career in the restaurant industry began with Jukebox Saturday Night, a nostalgic restaurant and night club with 8 locations in Des Moines, IA; Springfield, MA; San Francisco, CA; Minneapolis, MN and (four in) Chicago, IL.

Steven created one of the most successful themed restaurants in the world, Rainforest Cafe® (A Wild Place to Shop and Eat®). Opening the first at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota in October 1994, Rainforest Cafe® became the first restaurant to go public with only one unit open. Steven and his public company built and operated 45 Rainforest Cafe® restaurants in seven years, on three continents and sold the chain to Landry’s Restaurants in 2000.