Allen J. Bernstein, former Morton’s CEO, dies at 65

Allen J. Bernstein, former chairman and chief executive of Morton’s Restaurant Group, died Tuesday. He was 65.
Most recently, Bernstein was chairman emeritus of 77-unit Morton’s, which he helped grow from nine restaurants in 1989 to 69 locations at the time of its initial public offering in 2006.
He was a recipient of Nation’s Restaurant News’ Golden Chain award in 2001.
According to New York-based private-equity firm Castle Harlan Inc., which backed many of his ventures in a long career in the restaurant industry, Bernstein graduated from the University of Miami in 1968 with a degree in marketing, after writing a senior thesis on restaurant branding. He became a franchisee of such chains as Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Long John Silver’s, Godfather’s Pizza and Le Peep.
In 1988 while working with Castle Harlan, Bernstein founded Quantum Restaurant Group, first purchasing Atlanta-based Peasant Restaurant Inc., before acquiring Morton’s of Chicago in May 1989.
In 1996, Quantum became Morton’s Restaurant Group, and by the time Bernstein retired from day-to-day operations in 2005, the brand had entered Toronto and the Asian markets of Hong Kong and Singapore, which are among some of the chain’s most profitable restaurants today, officials said in the most recent earnings call for Morton’s Restaurant Group.
Bernstein’s is survived by his wife, Lori Waltzer Bernstein, and two children.
Contact Mark Brandau at mark.brandau@penton.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @Mark_from_NRN
 

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