107. A Career of “Place-Making”—at his Restaurants, or in a Sustainable Community

On summer break from college, Steve thought he had a job lined up at a prime Colorado resort, but ended up washing dishes in a restaurant. Because he had packed a suit, he was ready when the owner called him into duty after firing the maître d’, launching his career in the restaurant industry.

On a management fast-track at Stouffer’s hotel division, Steve had tired of constant travel and wanted to live in Atlanta, Georgia. Landing a job at Stouffer’s new hotel in Atlanta, he kept an eye on the restaurant scene. In 1973 he and his partners opened Pleasant Peasant, then over the next 22 years created a variety of trend-setting restaurants with 34 locations.

“Really dig down into your heart and your gut, not just your head. Listen with your heart or your gut to what you intuitively feel, and then have the courage to follow that intuition. When we go strictly by logic we will end up in situations we’re not passionate about.”

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv