Executive Movements — May 2008
ATLANTA — FOCUS BRANDS INC. has named on–site veteran Paul Damico president of its MOE´S SOUTHWEST GRILL brand, the multiconcept operator said Tuesday. Focus Brands president and chief executive STEVE ROMANIELLO has been serving as Moe´s president since August, when his company acquired the 400–unit fast–casual concept from Raving Brands Inc. Damico most recently was chief operating officer of SSP America, a 170–unit concessions company, where he was responsible for the operations of 42 airport venues in North America, Canada and the Caribbean. Before that, he was a cofounder and vice president of operations and concept development at FoodBrand LLC, a restaurant and food court operator. Focus Brands said it plans to open 75 Moe´s locations this year. The Atlanta–based company is the operator or franchisor of more than 2,200 restaurants worldwide under the Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe´s, Schlotzsky´s and Seattle´s Best Coffee brands.
TORRANCE, Calif. — YOSHINOYA, a Japanese quick–service rice bowl specialty chain with 86 U.S. locations, has promoted OLIVER CORTES to president and chief executive of YOSHINOYA FRANCHISE OF NORTH AMERICA INC. here as part of an expansion push. The company also said it had hired Subway veteran SCOTT HOBERT as vice president of franchise development, and that franchising deals have been signed for Arizona and Nevada. The Tokyo–based chain, which dates back to 1899, has more than 1,300 locations, mostly in Asia.
OAKVILLE, Ontario — TIM HORTONS INC. has announced a restructuring that it said would streamline management and save the operator and franchisor of doughnut specialty bakerycafes an estimated $1.5 million a year. The restructuring included several executive promotions, along with changes below the management level that the company did not detail. ROLAND WALTON was promoted to chief operations officer for the Canada division, and DAVID CLANACHAN was named COO for the Hortons´ U.S. and international divisions. BILL MOIR was promoted to chief brand and marketing officer.
MIAMI — BURGER KING CORP. has hired former Jack in the Box vice president of operations GLADYS DECLOUET to oversee the franchisor´s BK restaurants in the United States and Canada. DeClouet will take over as senior vice president of North American company operations from DAVE GAGNON, who is leaving the company at the end of the fiscal year, BK said. DeClouet will report to CHUCK FALLON, president of BK North America, and assist him in overseeing its reimaging efforts.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — DOMINO´S PIZZA INC. has appointed Whataburger veteran WENDY A. BECK chief financial officer. She succeeds David Mounts, who was promoted last September to executive vice president of supply chain services. Beck was CFO, senior vice president and treasurer of Corpus Christi, Texas–based Whataburger, which she joined in 2001 after working for Checkers Drive–In Restaurants.
LOUISVILLE, Colo. — ROCK BOTTOM RESTAURANTS INC. Monday announced the resignations of chief executive NED LIDVALL, chief financial officer JOHN COLETTA and senior vice president of human resources SUGI RANDALL. Chairman and founder FRANK DAY will assume responsibilities as president of the operator or franchisor of 102 casual–dining restaurants, including the Rock Bottom Restaurants and Brewery and Old Chicago chains. In December, Rock Bottom cut 19 percent of its corporate staff, blaming economic conditions, including minimum–wage increases, rising energy costs, higher supply costs and diminished customer spending. The company at that time also postponed a recapitalization. Last year Rock Bottom hired investment banker Piper Jaffray & Co. to explore possible exit strategy for Day and other investors. Day led a management buyout in 1999 that took Rock Bottom private. Lidvall joined Rock Bottom in 1996 as vice president from Brinker International and was promoted from chief operating officer to CEO in 2001, replacing Day.
ATLANTA — ARBY´S RESTAURANT GROUP, based here, whose parent, Triarc Cos. Inc., is buying Wendy´s International Inc., has hired BRIAN KOLODZIEJ, as vice president of product development. Kolodziej formerly was vice president of culinary innovations and operations at Metromedia Restaurant Group and chief of menu development for Brinker International.
SEATTLE — The ORGANIC TO GO fast–casual chain has hired former Gretchen´s Shoebox Express sales manager JEANNETTE DAVIDSON as vice president of sales, and said she will focus on boosting the chain´s catering and delivery sales. Those activities currently account for 40 percent of the 26–unit chain´s business, and grew year–over–year by 47 percent during 2007, according to JASON R. BROWN, Organic To Go´s president and chief executive. The Seattle–based company´s restaurants are located in Washington state and Southern California.
OKLAHOMA CITY — SONIC CORP., parent of the 3,400–unit drive–in brand, has revamped its executive lineup, effective May 1, including the promotion of SCOTT MCLAIN to corporate president. While filling a post formerly held by chairman and chief executive CLIFFORD HUDSON, McLain will retain his former title and duties as president of Sonic´s franchising subsidiary and take charge of all company operations, marketing, information technology, purchasing, development, human resources and corporate communications. In addition, Sonic promoted MIKE PERRY from president of its restaurant operating subsidiary to the new post of chief operating officer, reporting to McLain. EDDIE SAROCH will replace Perry as president of the Sonic Restaurants arm, and Rob Geresi, its senior vice president, will assume Saroch´s former responsibilities for franchise services. Sonic also promoted SHARON STRICKLAND to vice president of corporate human resources, from senior director of employee services. Hudson said the realignment will allow him to focus on expansion and brand development.
COLUMBIA, Md. — The RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND has tapped PAUL P.HARTGEN, a veteran of more than 25 years in the hospitality and restaurant industries, to assume the roles of president and chief executive. He succeeds Marcia S. Harris, who died last fall. Hartgen is currently president and CEO of the NEVADA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION and is a former chief of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association. He also is president of the International Society of Restaurant Association Executives and is an industry representative to the board of the National Restaurant Association.
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Fast–casual sandwich chain COSÌ has named industry veteran PAUL BOWER chief development officer. He was vice president of development for Redbox, a DVD rental company with more than 7,000 locations that developed in a joint venture with McDonald´s Corp. Before that, he worked for 20 years with McDonald´s restaurant development team. Così, which has struggled to grow its franchise business following a restructuring, has 102 company–owned restaurants and is franchisor of 42 other Così outlets.
GLENDALE, Calif. — IHOP CORP. has appointed MICHAEL MENDELSOHN vice president of finance for the IHOP chain. He was chief financial officer and executive vice president of information technology at Teleflora LLC, which provides products and services to retail florists. Before that, Mendelsohn held positions at Walt Disney Internet Group. IHOP Corp. and its franchisees operate about 3,300 restaurants under the IHOP and Applebee´s Neighborhood Grill & Bar brands.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — DENNY´S CORP. named MICHELLE HUNT to the newly created position of director of supplier diversity, responsible for ensuring that minority– and women–owned supplier firms are given equal opportunities to compete for Denny´s business, and to serve as a liaison to such companies and regional and national business organizations. Hunt, who joined Denny´s in 1995, previously was manager of supplier diversity.- SPARTANBURG, S.C. — DENNY´S CORP. has promoted JANIS EMPLIT to chief operating officer as part of a management reorganization that now has four “C”–level positions reporting directly to the company´s president and chief executive, NELSON MARCHIOLI. In announcing the realignment, Denny´s also said that MARK CHMIEL, chief brand and concept innovation officer, is serving as chief marketing officer until a permanent appointee is named. The post of CMO has been vacant since Margaret Jenkins resigned last August, a Denny´s spokeswoman said. Rounding out the tier of executives directly below Marchioli are MARK WOLFINGER, chief financial officer, who is assuming the additional duties of chief administrative officer on a permanent basis. The post of CAO has been vacant for some time, the spokeswoman said. Emplit previously was Denny´s senior vice president of sales and company operations. The COO job is a new post for Denny´s, which operates 394 namesake restaurants and franchises or licenses 1,152 Denny´s to other companies.
BOSTON — UNO RESTAURANT HOLDINGS CORP. has named LOUIE PSALLIDAS senior vice president and chief financial officer. He fills the post vacated by ROBERT M. VINCENT, who left Uno last month to become CFO of Heathrow, Fla.–based Ruth´s Chris Steak House Inc. Psallidas previously was CFO of PGHC Holdings Inc., parent of the Papa Gino´s Pizzeria and D´Angelo chains. Boston–based Uno and its franchisees operate more than 200 Uno Chicago Grills.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — KAHALA FRANCHISE CORP., the owner of such brands as Blimpie, Cold Stone Creamery, Taco Time and Cereality, has promoted CHRIS PRASIFKA to president. The apparently new post was carved out from the prior responsibilities of DAVID GUARINO, who remains president of Kahala Franchise´s parent, KAHALA CORP. It said Guarino will focus on strategic issues. Prasifka joined Kahala last October as executive vice president. Previously, he was senior vice president of franchise operations and strategic development for Canteen Vending Services, an arm of contract giant Compass Group.