Tom James knows barbecue almost as well as he knows magazines. He has crisscrossed the country in search of the best barbecue, which ended up being his own, as his cooking team won the “World’s Best Ribs” honor twice at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cookoff. He went on to own and operate his own barbecue restaurant in Hood River, Oregon. His magazine career spans 18 years, including the launch of three magazines — Wake Boarding, Kiteboarding and Florida Golfer — of which he was the founding editor. James is currently editorial director of the water sports division of World Publications in Winter Park, Florida.
Contact: tom@thelunchguys.com

Chris Tauber got his start in fast food as the 2-year-old poster boy of his grandpa’s A&W franchise. He leveraged that experience into his professional climb up the McDonald’s ladder, from fry boy to drive-through man. After majoring in journalism at Drake University, he was an editor and writer for eight years in New York. His work there took him to newspapers, magazines and Web sites run by Gannett, Parade, Sports Illustrated, People, the NBA, MTV and The New York Times. His eating career took him from the White Castle by the Empire State Building to the McDonald’s by Grand Central Terminal. Love of suburbia and a new baby brought Tauber to Orlando, where he is now World Publications’ senior writer.
Contact: chris@thelunchguys.com

How did we become The Lunch Guys?
After venturing out of our respective office spaces at noon every day to feast on the abundance of chain restaurants in a 10-minute radius, we became the resident office experts on lunch. Then every day around 11:50 a.m., we started fielding the same questions: “How’s that new salad I saw on TV?” “Where should I go today?” We know lunch-goers across America are asking those questions, and we’re ready to give them the answers.