Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> February 27, 2002
SAMUEL E. 'SANDY' BEALL, III, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange
and has over 550 company-owned and operated and franchised restaurants.
In 1971, while attending the University of Tennessee, Mr. Beall and
college friends founded the Ruby Tuesday concept. Over the next 10
years, Mr. Beall and his team grew Ruby Tuesday to 16 units and, in
1982, opened the first L&N Seafood Grill at the World's Fair in
Knoxville. On May 1, 1982, Morrison Incorporated acquired the Ruby
Tuesday and L&N Seafood Grill concepts and named Mr. Beall President of
the Specialty Division. The Silver Spoon Cafe (formerly changed to
Mozzarella's Cafe, now known as American Cafe) concept was added in 1984
and the Tia's concept in 1995. Mr. Beall was named Executive Vice
President of Morrison in 1985, and was elected President and Chief
Operating Officer in 1987. He assumed the title of Chief Executive
Officer in 1992 and Chairman of the Board in May 1995. In March 1996,
the Board of Directors, at Mr. Beall's recommendation, approved spinning
off the two smaller operating divisions and Ruby Tuesday, Inc., became a
separate, publicly held corporation with Mr. Beall as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer. In 1994, MUFSO (Multi-Unit Food Service Operators)
honored Mr. Beall as Operator of the Year and presented him with the
Golden Chain Award. This also marked the year he was named Executive of
the Year by Restaurants and Institutions magazine. In June 1998, Ruby
Tuesday, Inc., relocated its corporate headquarters to Maryville,
Tennessee. In November 2000, the company sold American Cafe and Tia's
Tex-Mex restaurants to the president and partner of the American Cafe
concept and his management team. Mr. Beall serves on the Board of
Directors for Pilot Corporation, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains
National Park and SSC Service Solutions. He is a member of the
University of Tennessee Development Council, Maryville College Advisory
Board, and the Chief Executives Organization and World Presidents
Organization. He and his wife Kreis reside in Walland, Tennessee. Profile
see the company today?
Mr. Beall: Ruby Tuesday has system-wide revenues of over a $1 billion
and we are approaching 600
