Damien Donovan, Ed Brooks, and Adam Hawk
If there’s anyone that edgling business owners should look up to as they put the nishing touches on their new ventures, it’s Patrick Lyons and his Lyons Group empire. But Ed Brooks, co-owner of Red Sky, and Damien Donovan and Adam Hawk, co-owners of Paolo’s Trattoria, did more than admire Lyons’s accomplishments — they studied under him. Working as managers, GMs, directors of operations, and even — in the case of Hawk, a former Marine — as head of security, the guys honed their skills at Lyons venues like Game On!, the Big Easy, and the group’s Mohegan Sun properties, before breaking out on their own. (Donovan and Hawk bought Paolo’s in January; Brooks opened Red Sky in May 2006.) And none of the guys, who remain good friends, is planning to slow down anytime soon: all have their eyes on future projects, and we can’t wait to hear the details.
PHOTO BY BRIAN BRESNAHAN