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Home is the birthplace of some of America's biggestbusinesses. Just ask Steven Schussler, who foundedMinneapolis-based Rainforest Cafe in 1994. Billing itself as a wildplace to shop and eat, Rainforest Cafe's 25 internationallocations began humbly--albeit remarkably--as a prototype that tookover Schussler's suburban Minneapolis home.
How did Schussler, 43, grow a publicly traded, $300 million-pluscompany in just four years? The business of Schussler's dreamsstarted as just that. He dreamed of a restaurant/retail storeconcept that included live tropical birds and fish in a rain forestenvironment. It would be a place that was equal parts education,entertainment--and, of course, good eats.
Even while visions of a tropical eatery with cascadingwaterfalls and thunder and lightning storms filled his head,Schussler was busy operating a chain of Jukebox Saturday Nightrestaurants, which he founded. When the Minneapolis Jukeboxlocation failed in 1991 (others are still open), Schussler seizedthe opportunity to spend more time pursuing his lifelong dream.
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