Executive Movements October 2007
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Bagel specialist EINSTEIN NOAH
RESTAURANT GROUP INC. has hired MIKE SERCHIA away from the Los Angeles-based COFFEE BEAN & TEA
LEAF chain to serve as vice president of human resources.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf named PAUL ROLLINS to succeed
Serchia as head of HR, according to a spokeswoman. During
Serchia’s tenure, the coffehouse chain won a 2006 Spirit
Award from Nation’s Restaurant News and the National
Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Einstein
Noah is the operator or franchisor of about 600 bagel specialty
bakery-cafes, including the EINSTEIN BROS. BAGELS
and NOAH’S NEW YORK BAGELS chains.
RIDGELAND, Miss. — MCALISTER’S CORP., operator or
franchisor of 230 namesake delis, has appointed KEN
GREEN to the new post of senior vice president of operations.
Green most recently was senior vice president of operations
for the 550-unit Friendly’s restaurant chain. He also
served for two years as regional vice president of operations
for Cosi Inc., parent of the fast-casual sandwich chain of the
same name. He is scheduled to join McAlister’s on Sept. 17.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — TACO JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL has appointed president BARRY SIMS to the additional role of
chief executive. He replaces PAUL FISHERKELLER, who is
retiring after 10 years of leading the operator or franchisor of
more than 425 namesake restaurants. Sims, who was promoted
to president earlier this year, will lead the quick-service chain’s
growth initiatives, including physical upgrades to its stores to
reflect Taco John’s “West-Mex” branding program.
NEW YORK — ARK RESTAURANTS CORP. has promoted
ROBERT TOWERS to the newly created position of president.
Towers, who was Ark’s executive vice president, will remain chief
operating officer and treasurer of the New York-based company.
Ark, which Towers joined in 1983, operates 24 restaurants and
bars, 25 fast-food outlets, catering operations and wholesale and
retail bakeries in New York, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.
MIAMI — BURGER KING HOLDINGS INC. named 23-
year company veteran JULIO RAMIREZ executive vice
president of global operations, filling the vacancy left by the
departure of JAMES HYATT to be president and chief executive
of the Deerfield, Ill.-based Cosi fast-casual chain.
Ramirez, who reports to Burger King CEO JOHN CHIDSEY,
was president of BK’s Latin America region. At Cosi, Hyatt
succeeds interim CEO ROBERT MERRITT, who remains on
Cosi’s board of directors, which Hyatt has joined.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — RANDY KIBLER has been named chief
executive of BOJANGLES’ RESTAURANTS INC., which last
week had 60 percent of its equity purchased by the chain’s largest
franchisee, JERRY RICHARDSON, and private-equity firm
FALFURRIAS CAPITAL PARTNERS. Kibler replaces JOE
DRURY, who had led the parent of the 386-unit Bojangles’
Famous Chicken ’n Biscuits brand as co-owner since 2001. A 37-
year industry veteran, Kibler spent 26 years working for
Richardson at Spartan Foods and later Flagstar Cos. Inc., which
was parent at the time of Denny’s and Quincy’s Steakhouses, and
then one of Hardee’s largest franchisees. Kibler was senior vice
president then president and chief operating officer of Flagstar’s
600-restaurant Hardee’s division. He also held executive positions
at Quincy’s and Denny’s, and in 2002 began to work with developers
of Firehouse Restaurant Group Inc. Charlotte-based
Bojangles' operates in 11 states, Honduras and Mexico.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — KAHALA-COLD STONE’s board of
directors has exercised an option to end its relationship with chief
executive DOUG DUCEY to enable Kahala founder KEVIN
BLACKWELL to take the reins of the franchisor of 14 brands,
including Blimpie, Surf City Squeeze and Cold Stone Creamery,
the Arizona Republic reported. The change comes four months
after Ducey’s Cold Stone Creamery chain merged with the former
Kahala Corp., when Blackwell became chairman and chief strategist.
But he decided he wanted a more active role in leading the
4,600-store franchise system of 14 brands with $1.1 billion in systemwide
sales, he indicated. A statement attributed to Ducey said
the Kahala-Cold Stone merger “continues to make tremendous
sense for stakeholders, employees and customers.”
NEW YORK — Amid reports of problems with disgruntled franchisees,
officials of SOUP KITCHEN INTERNATIONAL,
franchisor of the 40-unit ORIGINAL SOUPMAN brand, have
dismissed JOHN BELLO as chairman and chief executive.
Bello will remain on the company’s board of directors. The decision
was made in part to focus on refinements of the chain’s franchise
operations, the company indicated. According to published
reports, some franchisees have complained that their stores failed
during the first year or had poor sales and bad relationships with
the franchisor. Prices for a 12-ounce bowl of soup range between
$7 and $12, which reportedly has caused a downturn in repeat
sales. The New York City-based chain is based on the soup creations
of concept founder AL YEGANEH, who was satirized on
TV’s “Seinfeld.” The company began franchising in 2004.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — COLD STONE CREAMERY has
named DAN BEEM president to replace JIM FLAUM, who
left the chain recently to work on his family-owned
TEAKWOODS TAVERN & GRILL. Beem, a four-year veteran
of the 1,400-unit ice cream chain, most recently was
its vice president of profitability. The veteran of Planet
Hollywood, T.G.I. Friday’s and Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.
also operated his own restaurant for two years. DOUG DUCEY,
chief executive of the KAHALA-COLD STONE holding
company, said Beem’s “understanding of Cold Stone Creamery
operations along with his experience serving the franchisee
community will surely yield positive results for the brand.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — MAX & ERMA’S, operator or franchisor
of 101 casual-dining restaurants, has named MICHAEL
NAHKUNST, an operations veteran of the BJ’s and Cheesecake
Factory chains, to succeed JIM HOWENSTEIN as chief operating
officer. Howenstein is vacating the post after two years to
become a regional vice president. Nahkunst, who previously
worked for Chili’s during a period of rapid expansion, also operated
his own restaurants for three years and has been a consultant.
Max & Erma’s has been focused on rebranding, menu upgrades
and expansion of its 24-unit franchised system.
ATLANTA — ARBY’S parent TRIARC COS. INC. disclosed several executives changes as part of a corporate restructuring to become a “pure-play” restaurant company. The realignment comes as the company is expected to review proprietary information about WENDY’S INTERNATIONAL INC. that could lead to a bid for the quick-service giant. Triarc named THOMAS A. GARRETT executive vice president and chief operating officer, while STEPHEN E. HARE was appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer. Garrett and Hare are to serve in those roles in addition to their duties at Arby’s, where Garrett is
president and COO and Hare is CFO. In addition, Triarc named STEVEN B. GRAHAM its senior vice president and chief accounting officer. Since January he has been Arby’s senior VP and corporate controller. ROLAND C. SMITH, chief executive of Triarc, said the promotions are part of the company’s previously
reported plan to shed non-restaurant holdings, principally an asset management firm, and consolidate its operations and
headquarters in Atlanta, where Arby’s is based.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — SODEXHO USA has namedPATRICK E. CONNOLLY one of its four co-chief operating officers and president of its healthcare services division. He now oversees contract operations that contributed a reported $4.2 billion of Sodexho $6.7 billion in revenues last year. The former senior services division president replaces GEORGE CHAVEL, who was promoted Sept. 1 to succeed RICHARD MACEDONIA as Sodexho’s president and CEO. He retired after 39 years with the company.