Jeffrey Ruby

Jeff Ruby (born Brian Jeffrey Kranz, April 19, 1948) is an American entrepreneur and businessman. Ruby is the founder of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment which owns the restaurants Jeff Ruby Steakhouse, The Precint and Carlo & Johnny.
==Early life==
Jeff Ruby was born on April 19, 1948 in Newark, New Jersey. Three years after Jeff was born his parents divorced and he lived with his mother Lenore. His older brother Wayne stayed with their father. Jeff and his mother moved to Florida where she opened a restaurant. In Florida, Jeff's mother married Walter Ruby whom had experience in the restaurant business. They returned to New Jersey and opened a luncheonette in Newark. Growing up, Jeff's mother married four times and became an alcoholic. While in high school Jeff was also told that his father Lou Kranz was not his biological father.
At 15 years old Jeff decided to leave his mother's house for good leading him to briefly sleep under the boardwalk in Asbury Park. Jeff rented a small room in a house he shared with senior citizens. Jeff worked at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery|Perkins every morning before school running the grill. In his senior year Jeff turned himself around and became a straight A student. Jeff's high school football coach Jeep Bednarik became his mentor and helped turn his life around. Bednarik also assisted with Jeff getting a scholarship to Cornell University.
==Career==
Jeff attended Cornell University School of Hotel Administration graduating in 1965. After graduating from Cornell, Jeff was asked by the owner of Holiday Inn to manage one of his hotels in Cincinnati. At the Holiday Inn in Cincinnati Jeff met Johnny Bench and Pete Rose becoming business partners with him. With their financial backing Jeff was able to open his first restaurant The Precinct in 1981. The Precinct has since become the longest-running fine dining restaurant in Cincinnati. In 2007 Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse Louisville made national news when Jeff refused to serve O. J. Simpson. Jeff's second restaurant The Waterfront opened in 1986. The Waterfront was a floating restaurant on the Ohio River in Cincinnati. In the 2010s The Waterfront struggled due to issues with the restaurant breaking free twice from its dock and a barge hitting it. The Waterfront became submerged in the Ohio River and had to be demolished in October 2014.
Image:Jeff Ruby's.jpg|thumb|right|Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky.
In 1999 Jeff opened his first restaurant Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse using his signature name. Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse was located on Walnut Street and quickly became a popular restaurant in Cincinnati. Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse expanded with a second location in Louisville, Kentucky in 2001. Jeff expanded in 2016 with the establishment of Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse Nashville. In 2017 Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse opened a third location in Columbus, Ohio. In 2019 Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse opened a fourth location in Lexington, Kentucky. In 2022 the first Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse relocated to the new development called The Foundry at Fountain Square.
In 2010 Jeff began sponsoring jockeys. Jeff does not profit from his sponsorship but instead donates to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. In 2018 the Spiral Stakes American thoroughbred horse race at Turfway Park was renamed to Jeff Ruby Steaks.
In 2016 Jeff was cast in the biopic Gotti (2018 film)|Gotti about John Gotti the boss of the Gambino crime family. Jeff is also thanked at the end of the credits of the film.
==Filmography==
===Film===
Year	Film 	Role
2010	Hell's Gate 	E.A. "Buck" Brady
2012	Easy Rider 2: The Ride Home	Baseball Scout
2018	Gotti 	Antonio "Tony Ducks" Corallo
Category:1948 births
Category:People from Newark, New Jersey
Category:American entrepreneurs