Peter Karpinski
With an intense passion for creating distinct dining experiences that appeal to a guest who is hungry for life, Peter Karpinski is the Co-Founder & COO of Sage Restaurant Group.
A graduate of Cornell University’s respected School of Hotel Administration; Karpinski is a bold leader who has helped elevate Sage Hospitality’s commitment to excellence in restaurant development with his vision for redefining industry conventions. Karpinski understands that it takes a clear sense of purpose combined with a high level of enthusiasm to deliver a product that is admired by consumers, investors and the industry alike.
Before joining the Sage Hospitality family in 2005, Karpinski sharpened his skill set at several top luxury brands, including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Caesars Palace. At Four Seasons, Karpinski served as both Interim and Assistant Food and Beverage Director at its Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, managing a $24 million annual operation.
At Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Karpinski spent two years as the Director of Restaurants, overseeing 800 union employees – including 45 managers – as well as a $75 million operations budget. While in Las Vegas, Karpinski was involved with the debut of nationally acclaimed restaurants Bradley Ogden and Mesa Grill, both large-scale launches from celebrity-status chefs.
He then joined Philadelphia’s Starr Restaurant Organization, one of the nation’s fastest growing independent restaurant groups. At Starr, Karpinski served as Corporate Director of Operations, managing an $80 million business with 1,200 staff and a strong eye for cutting-edge design and ambitious expansion plans.
Karpinski brought his eye for untapped potential and unidentified niches to Sage Hospitality in late 2005, where he was charged with founding and launching the new Sage Restaurant Group.
“We want to seamlessly bridge the gap between independent restaurateurs and hotel food and beverage operations,” says Karpinski. “We have a progressive approach for building credibility with our investors and providing value to our consumers.”
With a keen strategic vision, Karpinski has overseen the launch of eight award-winning Sage Restaurant Group concepts in less than five years, including The Corner Office and Second Home Kitchen + Bar in Denver, Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago, IL, Urban Farmer, the Original and Departure in Portland, OR Braddock’s American Brasserie in Pittsburgh, PA and Toasted Oak Grill & Market in Novi, MI a suburb of Detroit. All of the restaurants are adjacent to Sage Hospitality hotels and are also committed to delivering exceptional catering and in-room dining experiences.
“Sage’s nimble, entrepreneurial mindset fuels the dynamism needed to succeed in an already crowded and competitive marketplace,” Karpinski says.
Karpinski is also a strong believer in Sage Hospitality’s pledge to support the communities in which they operate, embracing the company philosophy that “we can truly make the cities we are in better places to live and work.” Karpinski is currently a board member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Colorado, and Denver Kids Inc. He is an active member of Denver Active 20/30 Children’s Foundation, as well as a participant with many other community organizations, including the Denver Children’s Museum and the Colorado Leadership Council. He was recently recognized by Food & Wine Magazine in its “40 under 40 Biggest Food Thinkers in the Nation” list, “Rising Star” in 5280 Magazine’s “Colorado Power Issue” and “40 under 40 Business Professionals of 2012” by the Denver Business Journal.
Creating premium products known for delivering unique experiences, high-quality service and impressive returns – that’s the way business is done for Sage Restaurant Group’s Peter Karpinski.
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