Charles Sarkis

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Charles Sarkis is the chairman, president and CEO of Back Bay Restaurant Group. Since age 24, Charles Sarkis has been a restaurateur. Born in Milton, Massachusetts of middle-eastern decent, Charles is the son of famed mobster Abe Sarkis who at one time controlled a bookkeeping empire throughout New England and New York. Throughout his career, Charles has distanced himself from his father's image and today has built a mini hospitality empire -- the Back Bay Restaurant Group Inc. which revenue hit around $136 million in 2005.

Charles is a 1964 graduate of Georgetown University. Watching the gentrification around his Georgetown campus in the 1960's, he thought about the same phenomenon occurring in Boston's Back Bay. In 1964, he opened his first restaurant, Boraschi's (now Abe & Louis) on Boylston Street. Today he owns and operates over 35 restaurants including Joe’s American Bar and Grille, Atlantic Fish Company, Paparazzi, and Abe & Louie’s steakhouse. In addition he owns Wonderland Racetrack in Revere, Massachusetts.

In addition to his business empire, Charles is a cancer survivor, a philanthropist, and an active alumni at Georgetown University He has 6 children. Nancy Sarkis Corcoran, Charles F Sarkis Jr., A. Paul Sarkis, Patrick J.H. Sarkis, Amy Lee Sarkis, Sarah Jane Sarkis. He was married to Nancy Hennessey Sarkis until 1998. He is now married to Jolene Sykes Sarkis. Mrs. Sarkis held various positions of responsibility for Time Inc. from 1985 to 2001 in sales and marketing, primarily for Time Inc.'s leading publications which include Time, People, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Money. Mrs. Sarkis served as Publisher of Fortune from 1996 to 2001 and, additionally, as President of Fortune from 1999 to 2001.