Kaku Makino, the King of Japanese Buffet, was born in 1943 and raised in Tokyo, Japan, in a traditional, wealthy family. After surviving mumps at age four, he suffered a severe hearing loss. His father encouraged Kaku to play baseball, and he excelled. But his father died when Kaku was twenty years old, and, the oldest of four sons, he had to support the family, and he became a chef--an occupation he followed for twenty years in Tokyo before following his younger brothers to the U.S. in 1989.

Bergman Walls & Associates (BWA) is an architectural and interior design firm that specializes in hotels, resorts, restaurants, and entertainment. The firm was founded by Joel Bergman and Scott Walls in 1994. The headquarters are located in Las Vegas, but they have offices in Minneapolis, Seattle, and New York City.