Paul Sletten, 30

By Emily Hartzog

Paul Sletten is a busy guy. This former dishwasher now owns Brio (an upscale tapas-style restaurant in downtown Rockford), as well as Cru (a wine and cheese bar), and Jackson’s Urban Retreat (a loft suite above Brio).

In fact, if you catch him outside of the kitchen, he’s probably sipping coffee or Red Bull while talking on the phone, checking in with his staff and verifying his reservations—all at the same time.

Paul is a poster-child for Gen X professionals. His passion is the kitchen, but he also loves music, snowboarding and skateboarding. He is co-founder of the Downtown Retailers Collective, serves on the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau board, and has lent his expertise as a chef and small business owner for Rockford Public Library’s “So You Want to be a Chef” program and the Roosevelt School Career Day.

In addition to his work locally, Paul volunteers for Kids Around the World, an organization that provides safe playground equipment for children around the world, and has helped with projects in India, Thailand, Cuba and Honduras.

These days, he’s making sure his kitchen and staff are prepared, as he plans a vacation for his honeymoon.

“Everything in the restaurant business is perishable,” Sletten says, and he doesn’t just mean the food. His team wants to ensure an exceptional customer experience, and that requires constant attention to details.

“We get to serve people at the high points of their life—when they are getting married, celebrating a birthday with friends, or just out for a night. It’s all about making sure we provide the best for them.”