Industry veteran brings 40 years of restaurant experience and a lifelong love of pizza to his new role
Rave Restaurant Group, Inc., today announced restaurant industry veteran Bob Bafundo as the new President of Pizza Inn, an international pizza chain and flagship brand under Rave Restaurant Group, Inc.
Bafundo has over 30 years of restaurant experience, and in his new role, he will be responsible for all Pizza Inn operations, marketing and training functions across the Company. Additionally, he will oversee the opening of new Pizza Inn locations in the United States and overseas.
“We’re excited for Bob to join the RAVE team,” said Randy Gier, CEO of Rave Restaurant Group, Inc. “Bob has a proven level of leadership, a track record of building strong teams, driving performance and working with franchisees to create great customer experiences. We look forward to the impact he will have on continuing to rebuild the Pizza Inn brand.”
Bafundo most recently served as President of Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Denver based fast-casual restaurant that was selected as a “Breakout Brand” by Nation’s Restaurant News in both 2013 and 2014. With a background in operations, Bob has worked through the ranks of single and multi-unit operations with restaurants such as KFC, Tin Star Southwest Grill, Back Yard Burgers and Rax Restaurants.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to join the Pizza Inn family,” said Bob Bafundo, president of Pizza Inn. “My initial focus will be on fully immersing myself in the brand and culture, which includes visiting restaurants, meeting with employees of all levels and of course sampling all the great pizza.”
Bafundo built the franchise program for Garbanzo and also led company operations including implementing many of the systems that were critical for the emerging brand. Along with holding numerous positions in operations and franchising, Bob was also served as a franchisee for Tin Star Southwest Grill and an Area Developer for Sport Clips which will give him invaluable experience in leading with the Pizza Inn franchise system.
Founded in 1958, Pizza Inn is an international pizza chain featuring traditional and specialty pizzas, as well as freshly made pastas, sandwiches, and desserts. Pizza Inn was recently inducted in to the Pizza Hall of Fame by PMQ Magazine. Pizza Inn is a subsidiary of RAVE Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: RAVE) based in Dallas. RAVE owns, franchises and supplies more than 300 Pizza Inn and Pie Five restaurants operating domestically and internationally. For more information, please visit www.pizzainn.com.
