Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Denver-based fast-casual restaurant concept offering fresh, healthy and authentic Mediterranean cuisine, announced today updates to its board of directors and senior leadership team to better align with long-term growth objectives. Rob Doran, current Chief Executive Officer of Granite City Food & Brewery, and Michael Staenberg, founder of The Staenberg Group, have been appointed to Garbanzo’s board of directors. Industry icon Ralph Decker also joins the Garbanzo senior leadership team as director of field services.
“With a quickly growing concept like Garbanzo, it’s critical to have experienced senior leadership capable of innovating and expanding our business to the next level,” said Alon Mor, Garbanzo founder, president and CEO. “I’m confident the vast industry experiences Rob, Michael and Ralph possess will be instrumental in future company and franchise expansion.”
Doran brings substantial expertise in business consulting, executive leadership and various aspects of restaurant management to this board position. In addition to serving as the current CEO of Granite City Food & Brewery, Doran is a managing partner of Concept Development Partners, LLC, a merchant banking firm focusing on principal investments and consulting in the restaurant, food processing and retail industries since 2010. He is also the founder of the niche consulting group Doran Consulting, providing executive coaching to companies like McDonald’s Corporation, Boston Market, Delphi Auto Parts and Moroch Advertising Agency. A restaurant industry veteran, Doran spent 32 years with McDonald’s Corporation, most recently as executive vice president of McDonald’s U.S. Doran serves on the board of the directors of Hawaii Development Company and McDonalds of Hawaii.
Staenberg has spent more than 35 years in the commercial real estate industry, successfully developing 150 retail shopping centers in more than 25 states. In 2012, he founded The Staenberg Group, dedicated to building premiere properties designed for long-term ownership and management. Previously, Staenberg co-founded and served as president of THF Reality, where he grew the business into the third largest commercial real estate firm in the U.S. Prior to founding THF, Staenberg was senior vice president and director of Real Estate for the Leo Eisenberg Company, a national real estate development organization.
An icon of the restaurant industry, Decker’s career spans five decades, most notably with McDonalds Corporation, where he spent more than forty years cultivating business, developing talent and leading strategic initiatives. During his time at McDonalds, Decker led numerous projects to enhance business operations including the innovation of the Double Booth and Tandem Speaker Drive-Thru Systems, which allowed the company to dominate the quick-service segment. Most recently, Decker served as managing director for Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill/Bartini’s where he led the integration of the chain into the Granite City Food & Brewery Corporation. Decker’s proven ability to innovate and overcome complex challenges to beat the competition will be instrumental in his role as director of field services of Garbanzo.
“We are thrilled to welcome this lineup of all-star talent to our board of directors and senior leadership team,” said Bob Bafundo, Garbanzo vice president of company and franchise operations. “We have a lot to accomplish this year, and Doran, Staenberg and Decker will add tremendous value in paving the road for future success.”
Garbanzo offers guests a variety of healthy, high-quality Mediterranean items with an emphasis on flavor, freshness and authenticity, as well as a trans-fat free menu. Guests have the ability to customize every meal with items such as pita, laffa, falafel, shwarma, hummus, seasoned rice, sauces and dressings. All Garbanzo salads and sauces are prepared on-site daily, and the pita are made from scratch on-site throughout the day in every restaurant. Additionally, several ingredients are bought locally and some are imported directly from the Mediterranean region. The menu features simple and easy definitions and descriptions of each item in an effort to make guests feel comfortable trying food that may be new to them.
For more information about franchise development, please contact Cheryl Cassaly at cheryl.cassaly@eatgarbanzo.com.
Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill is owned and operated in Colorado. The company’s founder, Alon Mor, grew up in the Mediterranean region and is a 15-year veteran of owning and running restaurants. St. Louis Bread Company/Panera Bread founder Ken Rosenthal is also co-founder of the company. Voted 2010 and 2011 “Best Healthy Lunch” in Denver’s 7 A-List, Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill uses only the freshest, quality ingredients with freshly baked pita daily, along with several vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. To learn more about Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, visit www.EatGarbanzo.com.
