Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Liz Lombardo Stark has been appointed chairwoman of the board of the Illinois Restaurant Association. Lombardo Stark is the director of marketing and public relations at Gibsons Restaurant Group, as well as a member of the family that owns and operates the group. GRG includes Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House, LUXBAR, Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar, and Gibsons Italia.
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Lombardo Stark was immersed in the hospitality industry at an early age. She has many fond memories from within the walls of her family-owned establishments, Gibsons and its predecessor, Sweetwater. Fascinated by the atmosphere, she developed a fondness for the energy of a restaurant and a respect for the importance of hospitality. She formally joined the family company in 2014.
In October 2017, she opened Gibsons Italia, a three-level modern Italian steakhouse in the West Loop, with her siblings and father, Steve Lombardo. This was Gibsons Restaurant Group’s first downtown restaurant since 2005.
Lombardo Stark also serves on the board of Choose Chicago and is actively involved with Misericordia. She and her family support Catholic Charities with an annual luncheon for over 400 residents of the nonprofit.
