May 2011 will mark the 10 year anniversary of Quentin
Love's Quench Restaurant chain. Eight stores throughout the
Chicagoland area and growing, the CEO & Founder doesn't
just develop restaurants, he develops communities. With Love's
"No Beef, No Pork" concept, he has been able to tap into the
restaurant market with a niche that has gained him much
notoriety. He's been featured on an impressive list of such
media outlets as, ABC's Channel 7 Hungry Hound,
Tribune's Chicago Live, and Fox's Channel 12 Next TV
series 1 & 2, Chicago Social Men's Book Special
Edition, Chicago's Time out Magazine, Chicago
Crain's 40 under 40 and numerous others.
At 38, this media favorite and local celebrity remains
humble and down to earth. Born in Chicago's inner city in
1972, he grew up exposed to drugs and addictions in the home.
Not allowing that to become his destiny, Quentin is a living
example of turning tragedy to treasures and has proven that
your circumstances don't make the man, they create him.
Creating his own destiny, after high school Love went to
the Marines to explore the world beyond his neighborhood. In
1992, while serving active duty, an injury in Desert Storm
landed him an honorable discharge and back to the streets of
Chicago. Wanting to make a way out of no way, Quentin went to
barber college. Becoming a professional barber unleashed
Love's entrepreneur spirit. At the age of 23, he began opening
a series of businesses - two barbershops (Q-Cuts), a men's
clothing store (Nero Menswear) and full service beauty salon
to service men and women (Completion).
Mr. Love still not satisfied with the community which he
lived and served, Quentin sold his businesses to create a non
for profit, the Love Foundation in 2001, to develop the young
minds of the community. With the Love Foundation's mission in
mind, "Taking back the community one life, one brick, one love
at a time," he realized the need to help build sustainable
communities. Thus Love's vision of Quench Restaurant was born.
This business would not just employ the community but would
also provide a healthier food selection, thus improving every
man, woman and child's quality of life.
Quentin's passion for cooking, instilled by his
grandmother, started Quench off with him as the chef, five
menu items and one employee. Quench Restaurants is the premier
no beef, no pork transitional diet, fast casual restaurant
whose mission is to develop communities through your appetite
by positioning food establishments and systems where they're
needed the most; right in your neighborhood! Since 2001,
Quench's menu has grown to offer 70 items, employs 40, and
serves thousands of satisfied customers. Partnering with
various other restaurants, Love created parent company, I Love
Food Group, to support, nurture and grow other restaurants
with the knowhow of his leadership.
Quentin continues to be honored for his leadership and
success. He recently received a lifetime achievement award for
barbering. His next project to date is a community grocery
store, which will provide opportunities for other businesses
to showcase their products in a market style setting.
Mr. Love serves as an agent of change. The discipline and
experiences gained while serving as an U.S. Marine would serve
as the backdrop for so many accomplishments over the past 16
years. All of his business ventures and his overall growth
have required a great deal of tenacity and sacrifice of
material gain. He encourages people to get to know ones true
passion and allow that to help guide ones career decisions and
if a person is doing what's right, one will achieve success,
peace of mind and wealth.
He is also an astute man of many talents. Quentin is forever a
student of life, in his spare time, he studies martial arts,
enjoys reading, painting, playing the saxophone, creating recipes
and is a lover of jazz. Quentin Love...
Professional Barber, Entrepreneur, Community Leader,
Restaurateur, and Artist, a man living an unlimited
life.
