Primary Job Title Director Primary Organization 
Palmaz Scientific
Gender Male
hilip J. Romano is an investor, entrepreneur, artist, and nationally-renowned restaurateur -- involved in the restaurant business for over 40 years. Throughout the course of his career, he has created over 25 concepts. Mr. Romano has created several national restaurant concepts including Fuddruckers, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Spageddies,
Cozymel's, Rudy's Country Store and BBQ and eatZi's Market & Bakery. The restaurant concepts created by Mr. Romano produce over $1 billion in sales each year and to date, his concepts have generated more than $10 billion in revenue.
Mr. Romano was a principal in EGP, a partnership that held the licensing rights to the Palmaz-Schatz Stent that was purchased by Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Romano also served on the board of directors and was an investor in CardioSpectra, a medical device company sold to Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC).
In addition, Mr. Romano was founder and partner of the American Institute of Gastric Banding, a developer of outpatient bariatric surgery centers, and co-founded Scientific Health Development, a fund that is an early stage investor in medical device, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies. Mr. Romano wrote a book entitled "Food for Thought," published by Dearborn in 2005 and made the CEO Best Sellers list.
From 1989 to 2002, Mr. Romano served as a consultant and joint venture partner of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) as national operator, developer and franchisor of numerous restaurant concepts, including Chili's Bar & Grill and Romano's Macaroni Grill. Mr. Romano currently owns and operates the following restaurant concepts: eatZi's Market & Bakery, Nick & Sam's Steak & Fish House, Who's Who Burgers and Coal Vines Pizza. Romano and his family have established a charitable foundation, The Food Foundation, which operates as Hunger Busters, and provides food to the hungry and has a mission of bringing a fresh meal with compassion to every hungry citizen of Dallas, Texas.
Mr. Romano currently serves on the Board of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He lectures frequently at universities, national business seminars, civic organizations and special interest group meetings.
