Wills Dowd was born and raised in the hospitality industry. As a third generation Portland Maine local, he watched behind the scenes as his father owned and operated six food and beverage concepts in the Portland area. Recognizing this dedication to the industry, Dowd followed in his father’s footsteps by starting as a dishwasher at the age of 15 in the back of a busy kitchen. By the age of 24, he worked his way up the ranks and became the manager of the restaurant and even spearheaded the opening of two more restaurants for that business.

Decades later, he uses his passion and knowledge for the industry, along with his Portland Maine upbringing to his advantage as co-owner and director of operations for restaurant concept, Lucky Cheetah. The new restaurant opening follows the success of his existing Portland-based restaurant Bird & Co, which is a town favorite.

As a business owner, he takes pride in the ability to make change and bring visions to life. “There's no better feeling for me than knowing I made someone’s day with good food, drink and service. I love when people come in for first dates or big relationship moments and we can help them create a core memory. I love watching someone take the first sip of a drink and their eyes widen and then they tell their friend across the table they have to try it” says Dowd. This is what continues to drive his passion for the industry and grow his business.

When he is not overseeing the day-to-day operations of these concepts, he enjoys spending time with his family, catching up with friends on the golf course, and listening to live music in town.

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