Executive Movements — July 2010
TAMPA, Fla. – The 144-unit MELTING POT RESTAURANTS chain, based here, has promoted manager of culinary development SHANE SCHAIBLY to director of food and beverage and named KYLE WRAY beverage manager.
CANTON, Mass. – DUNKIN’ DONUTS, based here, said Friday it named DAN SAIA vice president of consumer engagement and WELDON SPANGLER regional vice president for the Midwest. The chain with more than 6,500 U.S. locations said Saia will oversee the creation, development and execution of Dunkin’ Donuts’ advertising, media and interactive strategies and will work with franchisees to devise campaigns to build sales and brand equity. He previously was vice president of marketing and communications at YUM BRANDS INC
IRVING,Texas —CHRISTOPHER D.MORRIS, chief financial officer to the parent company of CHUCK E. CHEESE’S, is leaving his post July 16. Morris has been CFO at CEC ENTERTAINMENT INC. since January 2004, and was leaving “to pursue another business opportunity,” the company said. Morris also serves as company treasurer and executive vice president. MICHAEL H.MAGUSIAK, CEC’s president and chief executive, said in a statement: “Chris has developed strong accounting, finance and MIS teams that have accomplished a great deal over the six and a half years that he has been with our company. ”The Irving, Texas-based CEC, which operates or franchises 546 Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants, is expected to report second-quarter results next month. Analysts said a positive quarter is expected, with a projected same-store sales increase of 3.5 percent.- Several chefs across the country announced new jobs and projects this week. In Chicago, PERRY HENDRIX has been appointed executive chef of CUSTOM HOUSE, replacing AARON DEAL, who took over the restaurant’s kitchen last year. Hendrix currently is executive chef of BRASSERIE BY NICHE in St. Louis. BRANT GOOD is the new executive chef at THE SARDINE FACTORY in Monterey, Calif., a restaurant where he first worked in 1988. For the past 10 years, he has been working at the CAPITAL CITY CLUB in Atlanta, where he most recently was executive chef. TOM MCEACHERN has been promoted to corporate executive chef of RAY’S RESTAURANTS, which operates three units in the Atlanta area — Ray’s on the River, Ray’s in the City and Ray’s Killer Creek. Previously, McEachern was executive chef of RAY’S ON THE RIVER. In Florida, chef NORMAN VAN AKEN said he will open a new restaurant called NORMAN’S 180 next week at the Westin Colonnade in Coral Gables. Van Aken, noted for his fusion cuisine NORMAN’S ORLANDO at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, will expand on his “new world cuisine” at the new restaurant. His son, JUSTIN VAN AKEN, will serve as co-chef with PHILLIP BRYANT, who has worked as sous chef with the elder Van Aken since 2005. In Texas, TYSON COLE, owner of the acclaimed UCHI in Austin, Texas, said he plans to open UCHIKO on July 6 in the central part of the city. Uchi’s former chef de cuisine PAUL QUI was named executive chef of Uchiko.
ATLANTA — ARBY’S has tapped WARREN CHANG to serve in the new position of chief innovation officer for taste, quality and customer experience, parent company WENDY’S/ARBY’S GROUP said Monday. Chang, 54, will be responsible for leading innovation and change initiatives in the areas of product development, quality improvement and customer experience. Before joining Arby’s, Chang served as president of CARINO’S ITALIAN based in Austin,Texas. He also has worked for McDonald’s, Yum! Brands and Applebee’s. Chang also worked previously at Arby’s, heading marketing and menu and product development initiatives from 1994 to 1998.
DALLAS — The WOMEN’S FOODSERVICE FORUM said it has promoted ANNA MASON to vice president of operations and general manager. Mason joined WFF in 2007 as events director, managing the organization’s annual Leadership Development Conference and Executive Women’s Summit. Mason also played a role in developing a partnership with the Center for Executive Women at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Before joining WFF, Mason was president and owner of BUSINESS SOLUTIONS SPECIALISTS, which assisted companies with supply chain management, reverse logistics and trade show and meeting planning.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — DENNY’S CORP. said late Tuesday that NELSON MARCHIOLI, the company’s president and chief executive, resigned and has been succeeded by board chair DEBRA SMITHART-OGLESBY on an interim basis until a permanent successor is found. Marchioli and Smithart-Oglesby had been embroiled in controversy this year as a group of dissident shareholders engaged in a corporate proxy contest to unseat the executives with claims of mismanagement. The dissident shareholder group lost the dispute last month, but speculation had risen that management changes at Denny’s would still be made. Following Marchioli’s resignation, Denny’s said it had formed a strategic team consisting of Smithart-Oglesby, chief financial officer MARK WOLFINGER, chief administrative officer and franchisee BILL COX and franchisee BOB LANGFORD, to focus on increasing sales and guest traffic.