Executive Movements — November 2008
HEATHROW, Fla. — The parent of the RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE said it promoted KEVIN TOOMY to senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Ruth’s Chris brand. Toomy previously was special-projects vice president of Ruth’s Hospitality. Ruth’s has eliminated an unspecified number of headquarters jobs, agreed to sell and lease back the home office here, and accepted the resignations of two high-level executives, including the president of its MITCHELL’S SEAFOOD division, DAMON LIEVER, who also was executive vice president of RUTH’S HOSPITALITY GROUP INC. Also departing was the company’s senior vice president and chief development officer, DAVID L. CATTELL, Ruth’s said. No successor was named for either position. Ruth’s estimated that the staff cuts will save $2 million to $4 million per year, and noted that the cost reductions and previous measures should result in total annual savings of $8 million. However, the most recent cutbacks will cost $1.8 million in severance-related charges, Ruth’s said. The sale of the corporate support center is expected to generate $12 million. 
MINNEAPOLIS — CARIBOU COFFEE CO. has hired Yum! Brands veteran ALFREDO MARTEL as senior vice president of marketing, and Starbucks veteran DANIEL HURDLE as senior vice president of supply chain, product management and real estate development. Hurdle most recently spent five years with Starbucks in its retail food business and in store construction and operations. Martel was an executive with Yum’s KFC division. Caribou also said AMY O’NEIL, who led retail store operations, and KATHY HOLLENHORST, who was head of marketing and product development, have left the company.
SAN ANTONIO — SOUPER SALAD INC. has added four former PIZZA INN executives to its management team. The hires, announced last week, come a few months after TIM TAFT, a former Pizza Inn CEO, was named president and CEO of the Souper Salad and Grandy’s parent. WARD OLGREEN, whom Souper Salad named chief operating officer, was Pizza Inn’s vice president of sales. DANNY MEISENHEIMER, formerly Pizza Inn’s vice president of brand management is now Souper Salad’s chief brand officer. JOE BRINK, former purchasing director at Pizza Inn, was named vice president of supply chain management. VIVIEN HORTON was named director of human resources; she had been Pizza Inn’s manager of communications and human resources. Souper Salad’s chains include 151 namesake buffets and 80 Grandy’s units.
LAKE FOREST, Calif. — DEL TACO has promoted its head of field marketing and added a senior-level marketing position. BRIAN MORIARTY is now senior director of brand marketing and advertising; the five-year Del Taco veteran had led field marketing and corporate communications. JOHN CAPPASOLA, a Blockbuster veteran, was hired for the new position of vice president of marketing development, responsible for planning, testing and executing all marketing programs, including product promotions and introductions. He will also oversee field marketing, including restaurant openings and competitive intelligence. Cappasola spent 16 years with Blockbuster in market sales development, field marketing and other positions. Both men report to SHARON FOGG, senior vice president of marketing. Del Taco and its franchisees operate more than 510 restaurants in 16 states.
PHOENIX — PETER PIPER INC., owner or franchisor of 139 pizza restaurants, has named JOSEPH LUONGO JR. president and chief executive. He replaces FRANK SBORDONE, who left Peter Piper earlier this month. Luongo most recently was senior vice president of FedEx Kinko’s international division in 10 nations. He has worked for such other chains as Pizza Hut and Starbucks Coffee. Peter Piper is owned by ACON Investments LLC and has units in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and New Mexico as well as Mexico.
ATLANTA — ARBY’S RESTAURANT GROUP INC. has realigned its top management in the wake of parent Triarc Cos.’ stock-swap acquisition of Wendy’s International last month to form WENDY’S/ARBY’S GROUP INC. The company Thursday said Arby’s president TOM GARRETT now has the additional role of chief executive of the sandwich chain. He succeeds ROLAND SMITH, who is CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s and the Wendy’s business. In addition, MICHAEL LIPPERT was promoted to chief operating officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, which owns and operates 1,169 of the chain’s 3,719 branches. Garrett formerly was Arby’s COO. Lippert previously was senior vice president of operations. Like Garrett, he is a veteran of RTM Restaurant Group, which was Arby’s largest franchisee until it was acquired in 2005 by the franchisor. In addition, JOHN DASIS, another RTM alumnus, was named Arby’s chief financial officer, and MICHAEL ABT, who also worked for RTM, was named senior vice president of company operations. Wendy’s/Arby’s Group is operator or franchisor of 10,344 restaurants.
WAYZATA, Minn. — DAVID GORONKIN has resigned as president and chief executive of REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL, the five-unit upscale-casual chain, both he and the company confirmed Monday. Goronkin was president and CEO of Famous Dave’s of America Inc. for four years until he resigned last December to take the position at Redstone. His departure from the chain comes as the nation’s credit crunch has forced Redstone to rethink its growth plans, focus on cash preservation and act conservatively in the current financial turmoil, founder and chairman DEAN VLAHOS said. Vlahos, who also founded the Champps Americana sports bar-restaurant chain, is taking over the CEO role at Redstone American Grill until a replacement is found. The chain will move forward with two restaurant commitments next year, but because the capital markets have dried up and lending from GE Capital has winnowed, growth will slow, Vlahos added. The chain’s long-term expectations are for a national footprint with as many as 300 locations.- HEATHROW, Fla. — RUTH’S HOSPITALITY GROUP INC. said Monday that chief executive and president MICHAEL P. O’DONNELL had assumed day-to-day responsibility for its RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE brand following the resignation of chain president GEOFFREY D. K. STILES. Stiles relinquished the post duties as corporate chief operating officer and executive vice president to “pursue other opportunities,” Ruth said. His exit is the latest in a series of highlevel leadership changes for the operator and franchisor. O’Donnell, a veteran of Champps Entertainment Inc. and the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, was named president and CEO in early August, filling the vacancy left by the April ouster of Craig Miller, who also was chairman. Ruth’s Hospitality and its franchisees operate 144 Ruth's Chris, Mitchell’s Fish Market, Mitchell’s Steakhouse and Cameron’s Steakhouse restaurants.