CRA Hall of Famers: Tom Wilscam

This month, the Colorado Restaurant Association inducted three more people into its hall of fame, an honor bestowed on those who've had a huge impact on the Colorado restaurant world. We're profiling all three here on Cafe Society.

First up is Tom Wilscam, who has his fingerprints on many institutions around Denver.

Wilscam has been in the industry for almost fifty years(!), mentoring many and affecting even more. He was the owner of The Dutchman, Wilscam's and the Bagel Stop restaurants in Colorado. He was also integral to the Hungry Farmer restaurant chain, the #3 Lift, the PTI restaurant chain and the original Downtown Broker, and created the concept that turned into Einstein Bagels. Along the way, he's held several national consulting positions and taught graduate students at the University of Denver's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

And how did it feel to be inducted into the CRA hall of fame? "Well, it meant a great deal to me, Wilscam says. "In our society, we kind of measure success based on financial and material things and accomplishments. But the thing that hit me more was the number of friends who were there, and the love and affection from those people."

Current restaurateurs, take note.