Peter Karpinski is the creative entrepreneurial force behind the successful Sage Restaurant Group, which develops and manages independent restaurants that break the mold of traditional hotel dining, offering exceptional food and beverage experiences for guests throughout the country. The co-founder and COO of the Denver-based company provides bold brand leadership with a clear sense of purpose, combined with a high level of enthusiasm to deliver products that are well-received by consumers, investors, and the industry alike. “At Sage Restaurant Group, we are re-imagining the traditional notion of what a ‘hotel restaurant’ is, and what it can be,” Karpinski explains. “These outlets can offer amazing food-service operations that function as independent restaurants, and are built for both hotel guests and the people who live and work in these cities, resulting in opportunities to positively impact those communities.”
Seamlessly bridging the gap between independent restaurateurs and hotel food and beverage operations, Karpinski joined Sage Hospitality in late 2005 to co-found and launch the new Sage Restaurant Group. With a keen strategic vision, he has since overseen the launch of nine award-winning Sage Restaurant Group concepts: Braddock’s American Brasserie in Pittsburgh, The Corner Office, Second Home Kitchen + Bar, and Kachina Southwestern Grill in Denver; Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago; Urban Farmer, Departure, and The Original Dinerant in Portland, OR; Hello Betty Fish House in Oceanside, CA, and a second Urban Farmer in Cleveland, OH. Karpinski also ensures these restaurants, which are all adjacent to Sage Hospitality hotels, deliver exceptional catering and in-room dining for hotel guests. “The number-one factor driving our restaurants forward is innovation,” he says. “Sage Restaurant Group prides itself on improving hotel dining by using quality cuisine and an independent-restaurant atmosphere to build a better overall dining experience.”
With Sage Restaurant Group poised for continued growth, Karpinski will oversee the 2016 openings of three new SRG properties – another Urban Farmer in Philadelphia, a second Departure in Denver and a second Kachina Southwestern Grill in Denver.
Before helming Sage, the alum of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration worked with several top hospitality brands, including Philadelphia’s Starr Restaurant Organization; Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; and the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, a Four Seasons Hotel and Resort, in Beverly Hills, CA. Currently, Karpinski serves as Chairman of the Board for Denver Kids Inc.
He has been nationally recognized by Food & Wine on its “40 under 40 Biggest Food Thinkers in the Nation” list, by Nation’s Restaurant News as a Reader’s Choice “Power 50” in hospitality, named a “Rising Star” in 5280 magazine’s “Colorado Power Issue,” and acknowledged as one of Denver Business Journal’s “40 under 40 Top Business Professionals in 2012,” as well as being prominently featured in noted business media outlets including Forbes, Market Watch, CNN Money, and Restaurant Hospitality. Top industry events regularly host Karpinski to share his knowledge on hospitality and food-service business leadership.
