Welcome to Keefer's Restaurant

Owner/General Manager

Glenn Keefer brings a wealth of knowledge, a passion for food and a love of people to Keefer's. Innate warmth and generosity make Keefer a most gracious host, an impressive manager and a consummate restaurateur. He has taken a turn at almost every position in the restaurant business. After managing other people's restaurants for more than two decades, Keefer fashioned his own concept and partnered with radio industry mogul and friend Jimmy de Castro to introduce Keefer's. Now the city that loves to eat has a hot new dining destination that, under the culinary direction of chef John Hogan, is sure to elevate Chicago-style cuisine to a new level.

A native New Yorker, Glenn Keefer began working as a busboy in restaurants during his teenage years. After a brief stint as a commercial fisherman, he returned to the restaurant business and moved swiftly up the ladder, from bartender to cook to captain. A natural in the business and tireless in his work, management positions soon brought him to Chicago, where he developed his hands-on, "lead by example" management style.

Before venturing out on his own, Keefer served as vice president of operations for T. J. Moran Management L.L.C. In this position he oversaw the functions of eight Ruth's Chris Steak Houses, stretching from Chicago and Northbrook, Ill. to Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Under his management, the Northbrook Ruth's Chris Steak House's received "3 1/2 out of 4 Forks" in a Chicago Tribune review and was recognized for "Best Steak" by North Shore magazine.

Prior to his appointment as vice president of operations, Keefer served as regional and general manager for Ruth's Chris Steak Houses for seven years. Sales grew tremendously under Keefer's watchful eye, and his restaurants were chosen to host high profile fund-raisers for such notables as Paul Simon and Ted Kennedy. It was also during Keefer's years that a 1997 issue of Robb Report named Ruth's Chris Steak House "Best Restaurant in the U.S."

Before his success at Ruth's Chris, Keefer gained more than 10 years experience at another well known Chicago establishment, The Palm. It was at this local media hangout and celebrity hot spot that he cut his teeth in management and began building a loyal clientele.

Glenn Keefer graduated in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies from Saint Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. He has been married for almost 20 years and has two children. A former triathlete and marathon runner, Glenn Keefer is not only a savvy restaurateur, but also a trustworthy friend to many Chicagoans.