Red Lobster Executive Chip Wade, whose single mom worked at the Scott Paper factory in Chester, is taking over the fine dining scene in New York City, writes Kim Severson for The New York Times.

Wade, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Widener University, replaces Danny Meyer as CEO of the Union Square Hospitality Group.

The restaurant group started in 1985 with the Union Square Café and went on to include 12 restaurants, a catering arm and a collection of all-day cafes called Daily Provisions. It also launched the Shake Shack fast-food franchise.

Wade was formerly in charge of 704 Red Lobster restaurants in North America.

He ran a TGI Fridays for 14 years and was COO of the Boston-based Legal Sea Foods chain.

He then joined restaurant giant Darden, which owned Red Lobster until it was sold in 2014 to Golden Gate.

“This company and this industry are all about emotion,” she said. “It’s all about feeling. Having a welcoming, open kitchen is really an important thing, and he gets that,” says Hilary Sterling, executive chef at Ci Siamo in the Manhattan West complex, part of the Union Square Hospitality Group.

Read more at The New York Times about Chip Wade.

Danny Meyer, former CEO of the Union Square Hospitality Group talks about the importance of hospitality