Recently, Mathew Focht, CEO of EMERGING, moderated a panel of CEOs and founders who have established some of the most dynamic and entertaining concepts in the restaurant and hospitality industry. In the following videos, you’ll find the Museum of Ice Cream, a place where anything is possible and sold-out venues are the norm. Blake Lively described it as “The closest thing to going to Willy Wonka’s Factory.”
Mirra Immersive can only be defined on the visual plane. This extreme social entertainment experience specializes in immersive virtual-reality gaming and a globally-inspired menu. In August 2024, its first immersive social entertainment venue opened in Bellevue, Washington.
The Gallery is one of the most extraordinary dining destinations in Los Angeles. It’s a space where fine dining meets astonishing immersion as diners go on a journey exploring the five elements. A flagship project of Allureum, it’s a multi-sensory experience that surrounds and enthralls, taking you beyond your five senses to an experience unlike any other.
If you’re in the restaurant industry, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Lettuce Entertain You, a Chicago-based restaurant group with about 120 restaurants and 60 brands spread across the country. Since its inception over 50 years ago, it has remained true to the founders’ goals: create an experience worth remembering, have fun, and treat your employees well.
Here, we’ll explore the people who developed these one-of-a-kind experiences. Click on the videos and prepare to be amazed.
Manish Vora, Co-CEO & Founder, Museum of Ice Cream
Intelligencer described The Museum of Ice Cream as “The Millennial Walt Disney.” With over four million visitors to date and one trillion global media impressions, Manish Vora and Maryellis Bunn, founders of this unique concept, hit it out of the park when they created extreme fun in a space designed for Instagram.
What started as a pop-up now has several permanent locations, including their current flagship location in New York City, as well as locations in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Miami, and Singapore. In 2026, its largest and most ambitious location will find its way to Las Vegas.
Let’s meet Manish Vora, one of its founders.
Manish Vora is the co-CEO and founder of the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC). In just six years, MOIC has opened 12 locations across the United States and Asia, welcoming over 4 million visitors and influencing the spread of a new worldwide experiential entertainment industry, which he coined “experiums”. He has launched global partnerships with American Express, Target, Mars, Unilever, and Sephora, garnering MOIC recognition as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” under his leadership.
Manish was a culture correspondent on NBC, on Ad Age’s “Creativity 50” list of most influential creative figures, and was featured in The Happiness Lab at Yale University, his alma mater. He was previously CEO of the experience-tech startup, Lightbox, and co-founded the contemporary arts platform, GREY AREA.
Manish is involved with numerous non-profits, including as a founding board member of UNICEF Next Generation (NextGen), Arts Advisor to New York’s Times Square, YPO, and on the board of Kin Earth, a regenerative farm and environmental education non-profit based in Austin.
Sam Wang, Founder, Mirra Immersive
Jeff Totey, a freelance writer for Seattle Refined, defined Mirra Immersive as “Unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” Sam Wang began testing this incredible concept in 2021. What emerged is wall-sized 8K LED screens that bring images to life. It’s a space where you create your avatar and lose yourself in other worlds.
Sam is a visionary in the world of immersive entertainment, having been instrumental in pioneering cutting-edge VR experiences that captivate audiences and redefine interactive entertainment. Mirra is the world’s first social VR arcade, designed from the ground up to leverage VR into the hot trend of competitive socialization.
Before Mirra, Sam created SoReal, China’s world’s first large-scale VR theme park. With a background in film production, Sam is also an award-winning VFX producer, having won the 53rd Taipei Golden Horse Award. His dedication to pushing the limits of virtual reality and his insights on blending technology with compelling storytelling promises invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of VR experiences and their potential to revolutionize the entertainment industry.
Chuck Fawcett, CEO, Allureum
How do you explain Allureum’s The Gallery? Defined by the five senses, it’s one of those experiences that must be seen, felt, heard, smelled, and tasted. One of its secret recipes is its in-house, award-winning media studio, Mousetrappe. Interactive technology, projection mapping, and immersive storytelling create an unrivaled five-course fine-dining experience that literally surrounds you.
Chuck Fawcett is an Emmy™ and Thea™ award-winning designer, creative executive, real estate investor, entrepreneur, and visionary leader. With over 35 years in the themed entertainment industry, combined with his experience building, owning, and operating Animax Designs—the industry’s leading animatronics company—Chuck holds a unique position of influence within the global theme park landscape. His extensive career includes collaborations with the world’s foremost entertainment companies, such as The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, NBCUniversal, SeaWorld, Warner Bros., and Sesame Workshop.
Chuck serves as CEO of Allureum, a company focused on developing, financing, and managing luxury immersive leisure destinations, including next-generation Family Entertainment Centers and unique bar & restaurant concepts. In 2024, Allureum launched its flagship project, “The Gallery,” an experiential dining destination in downtown Los Angeles. Additionally, he is Chairman and Co-Founder of Medici XD and Mousetrappe Media, companies dedicated to the creation of cutting-edge media, breakthrough experiences, and integrated technology for theme parks and immersive destinations worldwide.
Beyond his business ventures, Chuck is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of professionals. As Co-Founder of the Big Break Foundation, established in 2020, he champions diversity by providing scholarships and career opportunities for underrepresented individuals in the themed entertainment industry.
Kevin Brown, Executive Chairman, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants
Born in 1971, Rich Melman and Jerry Orzoff set out to create a restaurant that was fun, welcoming, and one in which employees felt valued. Those values live on today in their many restaurants, along with a drive toward excellence, innovation, and unforgettable experiences. One sentence perfectly defines this brand: “We take care of our people, and they take care of our guests.”
Kevin Brown brings over 50 years of experience and leadership to his role as CEO of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, one of the most esteemed multi-concept restaurant companies with more than 100 restaurants and 60+ concepts nationwide. As CEO, Kevin collaborates with Chairman and Founder Richard Melman, President R.J. Melman, and other key executives to drive innovation, develop new concepts, and strategically expand existing ones. Kevin, along with his more than 70 partners, are also instrumental in sharing and teaching Lettuce’s signature philosophies and culture of caring.
A Pittsburgh native and Michigan State University graduate, Kevin was the first candidate interviewed by Rich Melman on a college campus in 1977. He accepted the position the same day and began his career at Lettuce’s first restaurant, R.J. Grunts. He later built some of the company’s most renowned restaurant concepts, including Shaw’s Crab House, Wow Bao, and Big Bowl. He became President in 2000, was named the CEO of Lettuce in 2003, and in January 2025 was appointed the Executive Chairman.
Kevin is also co-head of Lettuce Consulting, using his experience to provide hospitality services and expertise to restaurant companies, developers, and investors nationwide.
Dedicated to his community, he has served as a Trustee of the University of Chicago Medical Center since 2003. He is also a Member of the Economic Club of Chicago, Commercial Club of Chicago, Illinois Restaurant Association, and the Advisory Board of Michigan State University.
