The BizTimes Bravo! Entrepreneur and IQ (Innovation Quotient) Awards Breakfast will feature a keynote conversation with Joe Bartolotta, president and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants.

Bartolotta will share his entrepreneurial insights about effective strategies for starting and growing businesses, including site selection, workforce recruitment and retention, brand development, marketing, innovation, quality control, philanthropy and more.

He will be interviewed at the luncheon by BizTimes executive editor Steve Jagler.

Bartolotta, along with brother and co-founder Paul, opened his first restaurant in 1993 with Ristorante Bartolotta, which has garnered four-star reviews and has consistently been rated the best Italian Restaurant in Milwaukee.

Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro opened in 1995 and received another four- star review with the DiRoNA Award from Distinguished Restaurants of North America.

In 1999, The Bartolotta Restaurants opened an Italian-style steakhouse, Mr. B's, located in Brookfield. The restaurant has been heralded as the best steakhouse in Wisconsin.

In 2004, he opened Bacchus, A Bartolotta Restaurant, located in the historic Cudahy Towers in downtown Milwaukee.

The company then launched another venture, Bartolotta Catering & Events, which has become the exclusive caterer for Boerner Botanical Gardens, Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin and The Historic Grain Exchange in downtown Milwaukee.

In 2009, Bartolotta launched Northpoint Custard, the custard and burger stand on the shores of Lake Michigan. Bartolotta also partnered with SSP America in 2009 to create a casual pizza and pasta restaurant, Nonna's, with a second Northpoint Custard stand to follow at General Mitchell International Airport.

Bartolotta opened The Rumpus Room, a European-inspired gastropub in downtown Milwaukee in 2011.

The company's latest venture is Harbor House on the shore of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee.

In addition to The Bartolotta Restaurant's philanthropic arm, Care-A-Lottas, Bartolotta sits on the boards of many local organizations and actively supports the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, American Cancer Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Task Force on Family Violence.

After the conversation with Bartolotta, BizTimes will present the winners of the

2012 Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards and IQ (Innovation Quotient) Awards.

The Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards salute bold and innovative company leaders. To be considered for the Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards, nominees should demonstrate the best traits of entrepreneurship; include a willingness to take risk, drive, perseverance and innovation.

The IQ Awards salute companies for their innovations in their products or services. Judges will choose the most innovative, clever and unique products, services or processes among the companies nominated.

Self-nominations are welcomed. Nominees for the Bravo! Entrepreneur and IQ Awards must be based in Wisconsin and have a physical presence in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Sheboygan, Racine, Walworth or Kenosha County.

Nominations are due by March 23.

Past recipients of the Bravo! Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award have included Fritz and Debra Usinger of the Usinger family, Stephen Marcus of The Marcus Corp., George Dalton of Fiserv Inc., Robert Kern of Generac and Harry Quadracci of Quad/Graphics Inc.

The winners of the 2012 awards will be presented at the Bravo!/IQ Awards Breakfast at BizExpo on May 17.

For more information, visit www.biztimes.com/bravo or contact Mary Ernst at (414) 336-7125.