Shawn Danko

Danko born in Montreal Quebec Canada, went to high school in Port Hope, Ontario and then graduated from Concordia University in Montreal majoring in product and package design. Toronto is where Danko began working for Hard Rock Cafe which turned out to be a 13-year adventure going from Toronto, to Montreal, Myrtle Beach and then to Memphis in 2000. It was in Memphis that Danko realized it was time to open his own restaurant. He and his wife, Lana, began working on their concept and design and eventually opened Kooky Canuck: a 150 seat, full service, casual dining restaurant in downtown Memphis in 2005 and currently celebrating the restaurant’s 18th anniversary. Kooky Canuck has been featured on the Irish Travel Channel, Trailer Park Boys, Gas Monkey Garage, You Gotta Eat Here on Food Network Canada, World Food Championships, Black Ink Crew; New York and was the first restaurant filmed for Man v Food in 2008 featuring the 4lb Kookamonga Burger Challenge. In 2014 the Dankos decided to expand and opened the second location of Kooky Canuck in Cordova, Tennessee. Danko received the State of Tennessee Restaurateur of the Year in 2018 and Memphis Restaurateur of the Year in 2020. Danko is very active lobbying for the hospitality industry at the local, state, and federal levels and is Chair of the Memphis Restaurant Association PAC. Danko has served on the board of directors for Memphis Tourism, Memphis Restaurant Association and currently serves on the boards of Metro Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association, Rock n Soul Museum, Memphis in May and is the current Chairman of Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association.