Michael R. Young—President of Chuy's Comida Deluxe, Inc.—
named 2007 Distinguished Alumnus

October 2007—Restaurateur Michael R. Young, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Texas State in 1971, has been named a 2007 Distinguished Alumnus of the University by the Texas State Alumni Association. Mr. Young was honored at a ceremony on campus during Homecoming Oct. 20, at 12:30 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater.

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in 1971, Mr. Young began work on a graduate degree in Geography before opening his first restaurant—Austin’s famous Mike & Charlie’s—in 1974. Today, Mr. Young is a major stockholder and President of Chuy’s Comida Deluxe, Inc., which operates several restaurants that have become Austin landmarks—Chuy’s Fine Tex Mex, Hula Hut, Shady Grove, and a new restaurant called Garrido’s that is scheduled to open on Lake Austin in 2008. He recently sold his interest in Chuy’s restaurants in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Mr. Young is also a partner in Glazing Saddles, Inc., which operates Krispy Kreme stores in Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Waco.

► See a complete list of Distinguished Alumni in Liberal Arts. ► See a list of all Texas State Distinguished Alumni.

Mr. Young expresses a deep commitment to helping children through a number of high-profile community service projects. Over the past 16 years, Chuy’s has collected more than 200,000 toys for needy Austin children through its annual Children Giving to Children Parade that serves as a toy drive for Operation Blue Santa. Chuy’s has also raised more than $350,000 for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Texas through its annual sponsorship of 5K and Kid K Runs. After the 9/11 disaster in New York, Mr. Young raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Red Cross, and after Hurricane Katrina, he contributed truckloads of food to flood victims in New Orleans. And in Florida, Mr. Young constructed a vacation villa and swimming pool so that terminally ill children and their families can enjoy a week-long cost free vacation at Walt Disney World.

In 2006, Mr. Young became one of the founding members of the College of Liberal Art Advisory Board, and he recently joined the board of the Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education in the Department of Geography. In 2000, he gave $100,000 to Geography for 20 scholarships, to be matched by faculty gifts.  The Michael Young Graduate Seminar Room in Geography is named in his honor.

In making the gift, Mr. Young said, "I am very proud of going to school at Texas State and exceptionally proud of how the Geography Department has grown and excelled since I was there.  I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't received an outstanding education at Texas State.  My experience at Texas State helped mold my future."

The Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Award is the Texas State Alumni Association's most prestigious award. Recipients must be distinguished in a business, profession, or life work on a national or international level and must have received previous recognition from their peers. Award recipients are Texas State graduates whose leadership serves as an example to all members of the Texas State community.

The first Texas State Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented in 1959 to then Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (’30 BS Ed.—History and English), who later served as 36th President of the United States of America.