ED CHILES

OWNER, CHILES HOSPITALITY, ANNA MARIA

The son of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, Ed Chiles’ favorite childhood memories are roaming the northern Florida woods hunting with his father. He got his start in the restaurant business as a dishwasher at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach. Today, Chiles Hospitality operates three restaurants on Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, Longboat Key near Sarasota and Bradenton Beach. They’ve become a staple in the sustainable tourism industry, with each place serving locally sourced Florida fare. Chiles is a founding member of the “All Clams on Deck” initiative, which encourages the use of hard-shell clams to filter the waters of Tampa Bay by absorbing harmful excess nutrients and algae responsible for red tide.