Warren M. Thompson
President & Chairman
Thompson Hospitality Corporation, Inc.
Warren M. Thompson is the President and Chairman of Thompson Hospitality Corporation, the largest minority owned restaurant/hospitality company in the country, with revenues of over $320 million dollars and 3,700 associates in 2010. The company now operates in forty-four states and four foreign companies providing a wide variety of services.
Thompson Hospitalities was founded in 1992, when Thompson completed a leveraged buyout of thirty-one Bob's Big Boy restaurants. He proceeded to convert the stores to Shoney's restaurants and several other proprietary restaurant concepts. He expanded the company’s interests into the contract food service arena and in 1997 created Thompson Hospitality Services, LLC by forging a strategic partnership with Compass Group, the world’s largest food service company. Through this alliance, Thompson Hospitality currently serves over 30 of the Fortune 100 companies, large urban school districts, and major hospital centers. Additionally, Thompson Hospitality has developed a specialty niche in providing food service to many of the Nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The growth in revenue now places the company 9th in “Food Management Magazine’s” ranking of the 50 largest contract companies.
In 2010, Black Enterprise Magazine awarded Thompson Hospitality the coveted “Company of the Year” award and ranked it among the top twelve industrial/service companies on its BE100’s list.
Thompson Hospitality’s retail expansion has continued through the years, with the purchase of the Austin Grill restaurant chain in 2006, and the acquisition of the American Tap Room and Marvelous Markets in 2008. The retail division continues to expand with several new brands and locations planned for 2011 and beyond.
On an individual level, Thompson has been recognized throughout his career for his success in business and his contributions to the community. He has received many awards and most recently in 2010, Thompson received the Humanitarian Award from the 40th Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference and was recognized by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council with the Reciprocal of the Year Award for his continued support of minority businesses.
Thompson has had the honor of sitting on the Board of Directors for several major corporations and universities including the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors, Hilb Rogal Hobbs and Pepsi-Cola’s African American Advisory Board. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for The Darden School of Business, Compass Group North America and Federal Realty Investment Trust.
Thompson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Managerial Economics from Hampden-Sydney College and holds a MBA from Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.