The annual NRN Power List is the definitive list of industry leaders who are not only setting trends today, but also shaping them for tomorrow.
Preserving the past through wine cafes
The annual NRN Power List is the definitive list of people setting foodservice trends today and shaping them for tomorrow. See the full list >>
Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder, Upward Projects
Known for: Upward Projects is a Phoenix-based hospitality group with strong ties to the communities its restaurants are located in. Each unit has been built in an historically and architecturally significant building with the intent of preserving the building’s purpose in the neighborhood. Lauren Bailey, along with three others, founded the company 17 years ago.
Power move: Bailey has overseen the design, conceptualization and operations for seven wine cafes and, in continuing with her company’s mission, has served on the board for several Arizona-based restaurant associations with the aim of fostering local businesses and increasing Arizona’s culinary distinction among American cities, creating a food mecca in the desert.
What’s next: According to the Phoenix Business Journal, Upward Projects plans to increase its unit count to 50 over the next few years after receiving funding from Brentwood Associates in 2017 to take Postino WineCafe national and grow into Texas and Colorado.
