Our People
Matt Matros, Owner and Creator of Protein Bar
Matt founded Protein Bar in 2009 with the goal of bringing healthy, great-tasting food to on-the-go Chicagoans. A former "fat kid," he lost 60 pounds in the summer of 2001 after switching to a high-protein diet and a lifestyle of exercise and healthy living. Always the last person picked for sports teams; Matt's still not great at team sports but has found a thrill beating his own records in triathlons and half-marathons. Before founding Protein Bar, Matt spent close to 4 years peddling highly-processed foods as a Brand Manager for Kraft Foods, where he landed after graduating in 2005 with his MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Since October 16, 2007 (when the idea came to him), Matt has worked tirelessly on launching and growing Protein Bar.
Mike Ganino, Director of Operations
From humble beginnings scarfing down fish tacos in San Diego, Mike has always loved great food and service. A former "husky" boy, Mike still loves food, techie gadgets, great design, and small British cars. Mike Ganino has opened over 75 restaurants in a career spanning Potbelly Sandwich Works, Lettuce Entertain You, and HomeMade Pizza Co. He joined Potbelly when the company had 8 stores in the Chicago market and led the expansion team in DC, Texas, and Minnesota. When Potbelly hit the 150 store mark, Mike joined the Training Department at Lettuce Entertain You working with QSR concept Wow Bao and in wine/beverage. Most recently, Mike was Director of Operations at HomeMade Pizza Co. leading the Operations, Training, HR, and Local Store Marketing team in opening 20 locations in 6 states. When not working in our stores, Mike can be found writing our blog, walking his dogs, or cooking up a 35-ingredient mole.
Phil Fox, Chef
Phil has always been a foodie, you know the story...looking up to mom in the kitchen, craving the food she was cooking up but also the knowledge she held. After a random stint in business school in DC, he headed to Cordon Bleu for culinary studies, while working in kitchens in and around Chicago. He then moved onto school for a degree in Food and Nutrition from Dominican University. Since then he has been a chef and nutrition consultant for large and small food companies and kitchens, striving to bring a vibrant and creative touch to his work. Constantly curious about the colorful world of food, he is traveling as much as possible in search of the new and exciting flavors of his fellow chefs. You can find Phil biking around the city he loves, stopping off wherever his nose tells him to.
