McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Michelle Lantow as Chief Financial Officer

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, Inc. (Nasdaq: MSSR) today announced the appointment of Michelle Lantow as its Chief Financial Officer, effective January 6, 2010.

Ms. Lantow brings 25 years of experience in corporate financial management and leadership to the Company, having most recently served as the president and chief financial officer of Lucy Activewear, Inc., a Portland, Ore.-based apparel company that designs and sells fashion forward performance apparel for athletic women. Lucy Activewear is a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC). During her nine years at Lucy, Lantow completely restructured the finance organization to support its rapid growth from a dot-com business to a retailer with 65 stores in 19 states. As part of her responsibilities, she also led the strategic planning process, and re-launched Lucy’s e-commerce segment as the company began developing its store portfolio.

"We are very pleased to welcome Michelle to the McCormick & Schmick’s family,” said McCormick & Schmick’s Chief Executive Officer Bill Freeman. "Michelle has a broad base of experience in the areas of corporate financial management and analysis, strategic planning, and investor relations with major consumer brands. We believe she is uniquely qualified to help us manage and enhance the McCormick & Schmick’s legacy. Michelle can add tremendous value to the strategic evolution of our brand as we continue to focus on greater connectivity with our guests while maintaining a strong financial position within our industry.”

Lantow began her career as a CPA at Arthur Andersen and Co. in San Francisco. She then moved into the retail apparel industry at GAP, Inc. (NYSE: GPS). During her 13-year tenure at GAP, she worked in a variety of positions, including vice president of finance, corporate controller and vice president of investor relations, where she managed corporate financial reporting, corporate financial planning and analysis, investor relations, merchandise planning and consolidated financial operations for the $12 billion retail portfolio including the concepts Gap, Gapkids, Banana Republic and Old Navy.

"McCormick & Schmick’s has established a reputation over the past thirty-plus years, not only as the leading fresh seafood restaurant group in the country, but also as a financially astute enterprise. I am looking forward to working with the management team and board of directors to build upon the Company’s well-deserved reputation as an industry leader,” said Lantow.

Lantow attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in business economics, graduating summa cum laude. Lantow has lived in Portland, Ore. for nine years with her husband and their four children.

About McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, Inc. is a leading seafood restaurant operator in the affordable upscale dining segment. The Company now operates 93 restaurants, including 87 restaurants in the United States and six restaurants in Canada under The Boathouse brand. McCormick & Schmick's has successfully grown over the past 37 years by focusing on serving a broad selection of fresh seafood. McCormick & Schmick's inviting atmosphere and high quality, diverse menu offering and compelling price-value proposition appeals to a diverse base of casual diners, families, travelers and the business community.