Paul Friedman is a Master Chef with over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry, having owned and operated over 50 successful restaurant concepts in South Africa,Germany, and the U.S. Paul began his career as a manager and worked his way up to franchise owner, then Director of Operations. He opened Paul's Pizza Shops - a nationally recognized pizza concept in Northwest Houston, Texas in 1994. Paul later developed a new concept, becoming the Executive Chef, CEO and partner at Peli Peli - a nationally recognized South African Fusion Restaurant which opened in 2009 in Houston, Texas.
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Awards
* Restaurant Startup Season 3, Episode 4 ( largest offer in Restaurant Startup history)
* Contestant- Cutthroat Kitchen (Food Network)
* Returning contestant-Cutthroat Kitchen (food Network)
* People's Choice Award- Gumbo Smackdown 2014 (Houstonia Mag)
* Classic Division Winner- 30Th Annual Caesar Salad Competition 2014 (My Table Mag)
* 2013 Chef Of Chefs Award Winner- 9th Annual Houston Food & Wine Week
* 2013 Cadillac Culinary Master award
* Thanksgiving Cooking Segment- Great Day Houston (November 2011)
* Cooking Segment- Debra Duncan Morning Show (2010, 2014, 2015,2016)
* Guest Motivational Speaker-Stanislaus Food Products, Hewlett-Packard)
* One of 60 chefs listed in book "Best chefs America" 2012
* Chef Of Chefs Winning Dish Babotie Wine and Food Week 2013
* Houston Power Professionals.. Entrepreneurship Leadership Award 2016
* Katy Taste Fest Winner March 2018
* Winner of the Sysco Kick Hunger Challenge 2017
* Kroger's Sip & Stroll 1st Place Winner April 2017
* Zest In The West Best of West Culinary Award winner 2018
* Rodeo Uncorked Select Participant in 2019 Rodeo Round Up Best Bites
* Peoples Choice Award 2017 Greater Houston Restaurant Association Golden Fork Award
* Houston Press Readers' Choice Award 2009
* Best Brunch - Cy Fair Magazine 2009
* Best Romantic Restaurant-Click2Houston.com
* Best Romantic Restaurant - Houston A-List 2013,2014,
* Ranked #4 out of 7,232 Houston Restaurants TripAdvisor.com
* Ranked #2 in Houston Yelp ($$$)
* Best Service- Houston Press. Readers' Choice Award (2013)
* Open Table Diners Choice Winner- Best Service and best Ambience 2012
* 2013 Winner - Top 100 Best American Fare Restaurants in the Us (open Table)
Executive Chef and CEO 1994 -2006
Paul's Pizza Shops
* Named Top 100 National Pizza Operators in Pizza Today Magazine 1995
* Named Top 50 National Pizza Operators in Pizza Today Magazine 1996
* Nationally recognized Pizza concept in Northwest Houston 2001
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