Bob Payton | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Michael Payton 25 May 1944 |
Died | 13 July 1994
Stevenage,
Hertfordshire, England | (aged 50)
Alma mater |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Northwestern University |
Occupation(s) | Marketing man, restaurateur and hotelier |
Robert Michael Payton (25 May 1944 – 13 July 1994) [1] was an American marketing man, restaurateur and hotelier. He is known for starting a chain of American-style restaurants in London in the 1970s, starting with The Chicago Pizza Pie Factory. [1]
Payton was born in Miami, Florida. [2]
He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, [3] and later received a master's degree in business administration from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. [2]
When sent to England by J. Walter Thompson to promote Kraft products, he decided to stay. He opened several successful fast food outlets such as Chicago Pizza Pie Factories and a series of themed restaurants such as Rib Shacks, Chicago Meatpackers and Henry J. Bean's. In 1988 he bought Stapleford Park, a large Leicestershire country house, and converted it into a hotel. [4]
He died at age 50, in an automobile accident near Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. [1] [5]