This week, Marcus Hotels & Resorts announced that Peggy Williams-Smith, long-time Marcus employee and former corporate vice president of food and beverage, has been promoted to senior vice president, SafeHouse Restaurants.
The promotion puts Williams-Smith at the helm of the SafeHouse brand, which was acquired by The Marcus Corporation in summer 2014.
Williams-Smith joined Marcus Hotels & Resorts in 1997 as a catering manager with the Hilton Milwaukee. During her career with the company, she served in a variety of positions, including director of catering for the Hilton Milwaukee and The Pfister Hotel, general manager of Brynwood Country Club, senior director of catering sales and event operations and corporate director of catering.
Today, Williams-Smith serves as chairwoman of the board of directors of the American Heart Association of Southeastern Wisconsin and sits on boards for the MATC Foundation and the Vince Lombardi Charitable Foundation. She is a steering committee member of Milwaukee Women Inc. and past president of TEMPO Milwaukee. She is currently co-chairing the UPAF (United Performing Arts Fund) 2016 city-wide campaign.
Under Williams-Smith’s leadership, Marcus plans to unveil numerous enhancements to the SafeHouse, the iconic spy-themed restaurant and bar.
Watch OnMilwaukee for updates as they develop.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
