Craig Miller to run for CongressCraig Miller to run for Congress

Robin Lee Allen

WASHINGTON Industry veteran Craig S. Miller said Thursday he plans to run for a congressional seat in central Florida.

Miller, who has led many restaurant chains including Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Uno, will run on the Republican ticket against Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, a first-term Democrat who was sworn into office in January 2009.

Miller said the formal filing process for entering the race is under way and should be completed within the next week. Miller grew up in the area of Florida he wants to represent, which includes parts of Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.

After a lifetime of creating jobs in the private sector, Miller said the time was right to bring his business perspective to the public arena of Congress.

“I do feel like I have something to add to the debate, ideas about the direction the economy should be taking, and how to break the cycle of unemployment and deal with the challenges the country faces with workforce and benefit programs,” he said.

In recent years, Miller has been an active industry investor involved in many restaurant boards. He formed Miller-Sinton Capital Partners LLC, a restaurant investment and advisory firm, with financier William C. Sinton in 2008. In July 2009, he joined the board of Real Mex Restaurants Inc.

Miller is the former president, chief executive and chairman of Ruth’s Chris Steak House Inc., which has since changed its name to Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc. He also has served as president and chief executive of Furr’s Restaurant Group and Uno Restaurant Corp. He was voted Nation’s Restaurant News’ Operator of the Year in 2007.

Contact Robin Lee Allen at [email protected].