Corner Bakery Cafe and Il Fornaio today announced that restaurant industry veteran Frank Paci has been named Chief Executive Officer of both companies. Paci assumes the position previously held by Mike Hislop who will remain Chairman of the Board.
“We are excited to welcome Frank as the new leader of Corner Bakery Cafe and Il Fornaio,” said Hislop. “Frank is a highly experienced executive and brings a broad range of experience in strategic planning, operations, franchise development and finance. His passion, talent and strong leadership will be invaluable as we continue to move our brands forward.”
“I am excited to join the Corner Bakery Cafe and Il Fornaio teams and look forward to working with our employees and franchisees to further enhance and grow these two great brands,” said Paci. “The strength of this company and the foundation for growth developed over the past few years is a tribute to the efforts of Mike and his management teams.”
Paci is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience leading retail and foodservice brands. He most recently served as President and CEO at Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. He previously was President and CEO of McAlister’s Deli, a 300-plus unit fast casual brand, and was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the Pantry, Inc., a publicly traded convenience store chain with over 1,500 locations. Prior to that, he held senior leadership finance and franchise development positions at Blockbuster, Pizza Hut and Burger King. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in economics from Yale University and an MBA from University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business with a Concentration in Finance.
Corner Bakery Cafe is a fast casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to guests in 22 states and Washington, D.C. Established in 1991, Corner Bakery Cafe restaurants are owned and operated by CBC Restaurant Corp. with more than 190 company-owned and franchised locations around the country. Founded on a philosophy of creating a place for people to relax and gather with family and friends, Corner Bakery Cafe features innovative, seasonal menu options while delivering a premier bakery cafe experience in the heart of neighborhoods everywhere. For more information, visit www.cornerbakerycafe.com.
Founded in Italy in 1972 and based in Corte Madera, California, Il Fornaio owns and operates twenty-two full-service Italian restaurants in California, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas and Reston, Virginia. Using the freshest ingredients and traditional cooking methods, Il Fornaio offers a wide variety of premium-quality authentic Italian food paired with great wines and cocktails in beautiful settings. The newest Il Fornaio opened on October 5th at the Village at Westfield Topanga in Woodland Hills, Ca. For more information, visit www.ilfornaio.com.
