Jean Krieger, Vitale-Krieger, Inc., Food and Wine Consultants, Dallas, TX

Krieger specializes in menu and new concept development, which she has done for many national restaurant chains. While director of research and development for S&A Restaurant Corp., she was responsible for product development for all their restaurant concepts, and implemented two menu changes a year for Steak & Ale and Bennigan's. The premium wine list she established for Steak & Ale generated a quarter of a million dollars in wine sales each month. When she was director of food and beverage products at T.G.I. Friday's, she planned all menus and created many of the best-selling recipes which, seven years later, are still among the top sellers.