Philip Butler is Vice President of Food & Beverage for CB Holding Corporation, the parent company of Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse, The Office Beer Bar and Grill and Bugaboo Creek Steak House. Prior to his current role as VP, he served as the Director of Food & Beverage for Bugaboo Creek.

Butler is a Culinary Institute of America alumnus and a seasoned chef, bringing more than 15 years of professional experience to CB Holding Corp. He has served as Executive Chef at numerous restaurants, created menus for establishments like Samba Room and developed a fresh foods program for 7 Eleven before joining the CB family.

A native of south Florida, Butler began cultivating his love of food at an early age by working in kitchens at the age of 14. Following his graduation from high school, Butler attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, graduating in 1993. During his time at CIA, Butler externed in his native Florida, working with Chef Norman Van Aken at aMano in South Beach. Upon graduation he returned to south Florida, working as a private chef for a year, a position that took him throughout the whole of the Caribbean and South America.

Following his time as a private chef, Butler once more found himself in Florida, again under the guidance of Chef Van Aken, now at Martha’s Tropical Grille in Hollywood Beach. Butler rose through the ranks at Martha’s to become Executive Chef, until relocating to Chicago to take on the role of Executive Chef at Bella Vista (a venue that boasted not only fine Italian dining, but a gourmet pizza café, as well).

Eager to further hone his skills as a chef, Butler moved to Chicago’s Havana, where he developed the entire menu. The restaurant was nominated as one of the top six best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit magazine, a distinction due in large part to Butler’s menu. 15 months after the grand opening of Havana, Butler designed the menu and kitchen for a second restaurant, a sushi bar and noodle shop called Won Ton Club.

These successful restaurant openings led to an even more exciting opportunity for Butler: he was approached by Carlson Restaurants Worldwide (parent company of TGI Friday’s) to develop the menu and bar for Samba Room. Originating in Dallas, where it was recognized by Playboy magazine, Samba Room expanded to include eight locations, each of which was nominated as “best new restaurant” in its respective city. In 2001, Nation’s Restaurant News awarded it the “Hot New Concept” honor, and Butler was featured at the James Beard House, showcasing the flavor of Latin Fusion for Samba Room.

Continuing his work in Dallas, Butler joined LSG Sky Chefs as the Account Chef for American Airlines, where he again designed the menu in addition to training chefs in the United States and Europe. While with LSG, he moved to the Buy on Board team to develop menus inspired by national chains and celebrity chefs including TGI Friday’s, Einstein Bagels and Wolfgang Puck.

After leaving LSG, Butler developed a fresh foods program for 7 Eleven USA through the company’s National Bakery and Commissary Partners. Butler returned to the restaurant business in 2005, becoming the Director of Food & Beverage for Bugaboo Creek before assuming his current role as Vice President of Food & Beverage for CB Holding Corporation.