Ryan Burnet
Tate Carlson
I ALWAYS ENJOY SEEING Ryan Burnet. Part of it, of course, is because he is such a nice and interesting guy, and I enjoy his company. The other part is because when I do see him, it is always somewhere fun—and often filling.
We have met at the two hotels Ryan runs in partnership with his father as VP of Burnet Hospitality, the artsy Chambers and the uber-chic W Minneapolis. We have also broken bread at the Minneapolis location of his Barrio Tequila Bar & Café, as well as the acclaimed and instantly popular North Loop newcomer Bar La Grassa. Burnet is also in the top 1 percent of all realtors nationwide, and he is a founder and board member of the Leadership Emergence and Development Project, or LEAD, a nonprofit that encourages philanthropy among young professionals.
So my first question, asked across a table of food during lunch at Manny’s Steakhouse, is how does he do it all?
“With a lot of attention to the details,” the 30-year-old Burnet replies succinctly. “Every one of these things pretty much consumes me, from the moment I wake up to when I am trying to sleep. I also have to credit my partners. They give me the ability to stretch myself and focus on the things I need to. I couldn’t do it alone.”
He probably also couldn’t do it all if it was merely his job, and not also his passion and his calling.
“It is the way I am wired, no doubt,” he says in his modest, plainspoken manner. “I love the process of taking something from its first stages to completion. That to me is where I get my sense of accomplishment and my happiness. Whether it’s helping people buy or sell a home or rolling out a new restaurant, the satisfaction comes from doing it the right way.”
Learning to do things right obviously began with his prominent parents, Peggy and Ralph Burnet, but Ryan is earnest about creating his own path and success. Just don’t ask him about his legacy—yet anyway.
“I don’t have a five- or 10-year plan, I barely have a weekly plan. I’d love to have a legacy though! It’s a little early to forecast, but I hope I will be leaving this city and state with something better than when I came. Right now I just need to keep working.”
RYAN BURNET
VP, Burnet Hospitality; restaurant owner; Realtor, Burnet & Birkeland Group, Coldwell Banker Burnet
Age: 30
Education: University of Vermont
First job: Burnet Realty
Family: Single
