Detroit Restaurateur Named to Statewide Position

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) has named James C. Kokas, founder and president of Detroit's Opus One restaurant, as a new member of its Board of Directors.

In 1987, after 23 years at the Chambertin, his family‚s Dearborn dining establishment, Kokas opened Opus One in downtown Detroit.

Since then, Opus One has been recognized as one of the best by the Distinguished Restaurant of North America (DiRoNA) committee. It was first chosen for the DiRoNA award in 1992 when 313 restaurants from the United States, Canada and Mexico were named. The restaurant continues to win that award annually.

Kokas‚ establishment has also won awards from Hour Detroit Magazine, Wine Spectator Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, AAA and Detroit Monthly.

"The MRA is proud to welcome this very successful restaurateur to the board," MRA Executive Director Rob Gifford said. "Jim's knowledge from operating a world-class restaurant and being from a family of restaurateurs will be a great asset to the board."

"Being elected to the Board of Directors is a great honor," Kokas said. "It will give me an opportunity to give back to the industry that has done so much for my family for three generations."

"In addition, I will be able to help preserve the shared ideals and goals of my fellow restaurateurs. I am excited to get started," Kokas said.

Kokas is a graduate of the University of Detroit, and lives in Bloomfield Hills. He is a board member of the Detroit Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, and has previously served on the New Detroit Board of Directors, the Mayor‚s Land Use Task Force and the Fairlane Henry Ford Hospital Board of Trustees.

Kokas was also instrumental in starting up the Metropolitan Detroit Courtesy Patrol, a service responsible for motorist security on local freeways. This was a result of his participation in the Alliance for a Safer, Greater Detroit since 1993.

The MRA represents more than 3,500 eating and drinking establishments statewide. On a typical day, more than 4 million meals are purchased from Michigan foodservice establishments.