Executive Movements — February 2009
LONG BEACH, Calif.— STEVE KISHI has been promoted to chief executive of SUPER MEX RESTAURANTS INC. and franchising arm Super Mex Franchise Corp., officials announced Friday. Kishi has served as chief operating officer of Super Mex since 2006. The family-owned chain includes 15 Mexican restaurants throughout the Southwest, including seven company owned units, six franchised, and two licensed units in Las Vegas.
Restaurants Unlimited Chief Stoddard Resigns - SEATTLE (Feb. 8, 2009) — Steve Stoddard, chief executive of Restaurants Unlimited Inc. said Friday that he is stepping down after 11 years at the helm of the Seattle-based multiconcept operator. Stoddard, who joined the company in 1982, said he would stay until June 21, which officials said would be enough time to find a replacement. The voluntary decision to leave RUI was based on the “unprecedented economic crisis,” and “differing views” about the future direction of the company with private-equity firm Sun Capital Partners, which bought RUI in 2007, said John Bottum, RUI spokesman. Most recently during Stoddard’s tenure, RUI in late 2007 acquired Portland, Ore.-based Pacific Coast Restaurants Inc., which included 27 restaurants such as the nine-unit Stanford’s chain, as well as the Newport Bay and Manzana brands. RUI now owns 58 restaurants in 13 states under 17 concepts, including Kincaid's, Palomino, and Pizzeria Fondi. The company reported $250 million in sales in 2008.
MEMPHIS,Tenn. — PERKINS & MARIE CALLENDER’S INC., which operates more than 600 family-dining restaurants, has promoted PETE PASCUZZI to the new post of executive vice president for operations and president of Perkins Restaurants effective immediately. In his new position, Pascuzzi will oversee PMCI’s operations-services teams as well as two vice presidents at the Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery brand and three area vice presidents at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, including JERRY CLARINGBOLE, who was recently promoted and will be based out of Cincinnati to handle Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. PMCI also announced the appointment of LONNIE HOWARD as president of Foxtail Foods, the wholesale bakery division based in Fairfield, Ohio, and NICK SABA as vice president of food and beverage.
CARROLLTON, Texas — T.G.I. Friday’s parent CARLSON RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE said Tuesday that its president and chief executive, RICHARD SNEAD, is retiring and will be replaced next month by NICK SHEPHERD, most recently chairman and chief executive of SAGITTARIUS BRANDS. Snead, who has been on a leave of absence for health reasons since September, will remain with Carrollton, Texas-based Carlson Restaurants on a consultancy basis through the end of the year. The move by Shepherd, who joined Sagittarius less than a year ago, has brought several changes among top management at the Nashville,Tenn.-based company, which is parent to the CAPTAIN D’S and DEL TACO quick-service brands. Snead joined Carlson Restaurants in 1997 as executive vice president of the international division, and was named president and chief executive in April 2002. Since Snead’s leave of absence, Jeff Balagna, an executive vice president of Carlson Hospitality, has been serving as interim chief of Carlson Restaurants, which operates, licenses and franchises 1,021 restaurants in 62 countries under the T.G. I. FRIDAY’S and associated brands, as well as the PICK UP STIX chain.
PAUL J. B. MURPHY III, who stepped down as president and chief executive of EINSTEIN NOAH RESTAURANT GROUP in December, was named chief executive of the 510-unit Del Taco chain, effective in mid-February.
MINNEAPOLIS — PARASOLE RESTAURANT HOLDINGS, the operator of about a dozen concepts, including Manny’s Steakhouse and the Good Earth Restaurants, has named attorney DENNIS MONROE its new chief executive and general counsel. Monroe has been providing legal and financial services to Parasole since 2000.
WARREN, Mich. — BIG BOY RESTAURANTS INTERNATIONAL LLC has tapped Checkers veteran KEITH E. SIROIS to serve as chief executive, the company said Monday. Sirois replaces interim CEO JIM JENSEN, a Big Boy board member who had been serving in that role since TONY MICHAELS left the company last October. Sirois most recently served as president and chief executive of Tampa, Fla.-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. 
ARLINGTON,Va. — Full-service restaurants have the highest average base pay among franchised companies across multiple industries, according to a report released Monday by FRANDATA, an independent research company here that tracks the franchise industry.The average base pay for upperlevel managers in full-service restaurant concepts run by franchisees was $119,393, followed by an average of $90,850 for those in business services franchises.The average base pay was $83,333 among fast-food franchisees.The lowest average base pay was in retail products and services at $57,700.The 91-page FRANCHISE COMPENSATION REPORT is a first for FRANdata and comes at a time when many franchisees are re-examining their budgets, said FRANdata chief executive DARRELL JOHNSON. 
COSTA MESA, Calif. — EL POLLO LOCO INC. on Thursday said Joe Stein, the company’s chief financial officer, has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of strategy and innovation. He is charged with leveraging innovation with the development of new products, processes and technology, as well as aligning resources around key initiatives. Filling Stein’s role as CFO is Gary Campanaro, former chief financial officer at Claim Jumper Restaurants. 
DALLAS — RAISING CANE’S CHICKEN FINGERS, an 80-unit quick-service chain, said it has appointed LEE EVANS to the position of vice president-controller. Evans, a certified public accountant, most recently was vice president of finance and interim controller for Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. 
CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. — Industry veteran W. DOUGLAS BENN was named executive vice president and chief financial officer of THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC., officials said Tuesday. Benn was most recently executive vice president and chief financial officer of Rare Hospitality International, which was parent to the LongHorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille concepts before the brands were sold to Darden Restaurants in 2007. He replaces former senior vice president and chief financial officer Michael Dixon, who left The Cheesecake Factory in July 2008.The Cheesecake Factory Inc. operates 159 restaurants under its namesake brand, Grand Lux Cafe and RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen. 
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — BJ’S RESTAURANTS INC. appointed WAYNE JONES as executive vice president and chief restaurant operations officer, effective Jan. 19. Jones previously spent 19 years at The Cheesecake Factory Inc., where he was most recently vice president of operations analysis. BJ’s owns and operates 82 casual-dining restaurants in 13 states and licenses one unit in Hawaii. - BATON ROUGE, La. — The 80-unit RAISING CANE’S CHICKEN FINGERS has promoted BRAD SANDERS to chief development officer and IAN VAUGHN to senior vice president of operations. Sanders, most recently senior vice president of development, has worked with Raising Cane’s for eight years and led the design team that launched the first prototype restaurant. Vaughn, most recently vice president of operations, has been with Raising Cane’s for more than six years.