2014 Business Mavericks Panelist
A visionary entrepreneur, restaurateur, hotelier and philanthropist, Zislis has captivated consumers with a cavalcade of well-‐loved and highly successful establishments. He brewed his first beer for a school science experiment when he was 13. By the time he was a student at USC, he was a master brewer. In the late ‘80s, Zislis opened his own brew pub, one of the first in California, Manhattan Beach Brewing Company. Soon after, he opened a second brew pub in nearby Redondo Beach, then more up and down the coast.
In 2000, he introduced Rock’N Fish, a seafood and steak house in Manhattan Beach. He has since opened additional Rock’N Fish restaurants.
Adding hotelier to his titles, in 2004 Zislis transformed an urban revitalization project in Manhattan Beach into the area’s first and only luxury boutique hotel, Shade, listed on Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List in 2007 in addition to being the magazine’s #6 reason to visit Los Angeles. Shade was also recently named one of the top 25 trendiest hotels in the U.S. by Trip Advisor.
In 2011, Zislis opened The Strand House restaurant, featuring American cuisine in an environment that is reminiscent of an elegant yet welcoming oceanfront beach house with stunning ocean views. The Strand House regularly hosts its Culinary Masters Series, an ongoing series of dinners which welcome celebrated chefs from around the world into the restaurant’s kitchen for one night, bringing their signature cuisine to the South Bay.
In 2012, Zislis, in partnership with rock icons Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS, opened Rock & Brews in El Segundo, a beer, comfort food and rock and roll dining and entertainment concept that now has six locations open and an additional dozen under development.
Now, Zislis has construction underway at Shade Hotel Redondo Beach, considered a cornerstone in the City of Redondo Beach’s waterfront revitalization project, slated for completion in November 2015.
Zislis, a father of six children, is also committed to supporting local charities and schools through his businesses. He currently sits on the foundation board at the Torrance Memorial Medical Center.