Headquarters: New York City

Annual Sales: $45-50 million

Units: 7

Key Personnel:
• John McDonald, owner/founder
• Steven Eckler, managing director/partner
• Jay Oliveros, managing director/partner
• Josh Capon, partner/executive chef at several concepts

SINGLE CONCEPTS:
• Burger & Barrel Winepub (comfort food with a twist on American classics)
• El Toro Blanco (a refined Mexican restaurant serving a pan-Mexican menu)
• Bowery Meat Company (meat-centric restaurant serving modern takes on steakhouse fare)  
• The Gordon Bar (stylish cocktail lounge offering carefully crafted drinks)  
• Sessanta (Sicilian & coastal Italian cuisine)

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS:
• Lure Fishbar (a seafood restaurant with an exceptional raw bar and sushi selections in NYC and Miami Beach)  

UPCOMING PROJECTS:
• Above 60 (a Rooftop bar and lounge at SIXTY SoHo Hotel)

WHY IT’S COOL:
It’s not easy getting noticed in a sea of Manhattan restaurants, but Mercer founder John McDonald has teamed up with super chef Josh Capon to create a number of eye-catching meat- and seafood-centric restaurants. For the last several years Capon has competed in a burger cook-off against some of America’s top chefs at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, and he’s brought home the top prize nearly every time. The guy can cook a burger better than most, but he’s extremely versatile, which he’s proven at the refined El Toro Blanco Mexican restaurant, Lure Fishbar in NYC and Miami Beach, as well as a new Sicilian concept. This group operates well-oiled restaurants with terrific food of all types. What more do you need to know?

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