MARK MAVRANTONIS
Executive Chef

Mark Mavrantonis has a passion for seafood. Known as “The Oyster Whisperer” in many circles, Mavrantonis has an endless knowledge of the seafood and shellfish industry. He tries for the best seafood program around, dealing directly with the farms themselves, cutting out the middlemen as much as possible. To him this is the only way to acquire the best seafood around. Mavrantonis has extensively traveled the world in search of the freshest, most exciting seafood to serve his patrons. This passion and knowledge is reflected throughout his cuisine.

A native of San Francisco, Mavrantonis began his restaurant career as a dishwasher while putting himself through college at California Institute of Technology where he majored in mechanical engineering. It was during this time he discovered an admiration for cooking and the restaurant industry. After working for a number of high-end places in San Francisco, he landed a job at McCormick & Kuleto’s in Fisherman’s Wharf. It was here he spent ten successful years opening up restaurants all over the country. He then set his sights on conquering the highest volume company in the world – The Cheesecake Factory.

As an executive chef at The Cheesecake Factory he ran the busiest store in the company located on Michigan Avenue, before being recruited by Levy Restaurants to open Fulton’s on the River. After a year and a half he moved over to the Mike Ditka’s Oakbrook Terrace restaurant location.

In his downtime Mavrantonis enjoys reading, computers and archery, and tries to skydive as much as possible. On his days off he finds relaxation in gardening, landscaping and bonsai trees. Eventually he plans to publish a series of essays and short stories on mishaps in the restaurant industry he’s been compiling from his experience over the years.




PAUL WOODARD
General Manager

Born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Paul Woodard learned the meaning of a hard days work at his father’s industrial sheet metal shop. After high school, Paul attended Purdue University at West Lafayette, IN where he studied Hospitality and Tourism Management. During his tenor in college, he fueled his passion for the restaurant industry by completing two internships, Portillos Restaurant Group and Medinah Country Club. Soon after graduating with honors, Paul landed his first position in the restaurant industry at the Bluepoint Oyster Bar. He quickly moved up the ranks at the 140 seat, fine dining restaurant to General Manager. After two years, Paul began to look for a more challenging position at firmly established, high volume, and well-known restaurant. He found everything he was searching for at Mike Ditka's Restaurant. In the past three years at the restaurant, Paul has climbed the ranks through Private Dining Manager, Bar Manager, Wine Purveyor, Service Manager and now, General Manager. Also, Paul found the time to finish his Masters in Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

ROBIN McKAY
Director of Sales

LESLIE WARDA
Office Manager