Blake Bernet

General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Development

Blake Bernet is not your typical lawyer. There are few members of the bar association who select restaurant sites, design and build cafes, celebrate the grand openings of new locations with their teams, and liven up the corporate office by playing happy birthday on their ukulele (when the appropriate situation arises, of course). However, as general counsel and senior vice president of development for Corner Bakery Cafe, Bernet does all of the above and more. A dual-degree graduate of Southern Methodist University, Bernet went straight from law school into a demanding law firm. In 1996 he heard about an opportunity at Brinker International that would allow him to use his law degree in a less conventional way – supporting growth and operations for the company’s restaurant locations, specifically Corner Bakery Cafe. In his new position, Bernet gained experience in every aspect of opening a new restaurant and ultimately, when the opportunity presented itself two years later, Bernet was in a prime position to take on the role of leading the development team. In 2006, when Corner Bakery Cafe officially split from Brinker International, there was no question where Bernet was going: he was (and still is) a “Breadhead” through and through. With the new team in place, Bernet’s responsibilities grew significantly. Today Bernet acts as general counsel and leads the development team, which includes new café development (the building of new cafes from site selection through opening) and facilities (café maintenance and remodeling of older units to reflect today’s vision of the brand). FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: The BBLT, a featured item during the summer of 2008 – six delicious slices of bacon and fresh, ripe, locally grown tomatoes!!!