PizzaRev CEO and co-founder, Rodney Eckerman, has joined the Board of Directors of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), the definitive voice of the state’s restaurant and hospitality industry and the oldest restaurant association in the country.
“We are thrilled to have Mr. Eckerman join the state board for the California Restaurant Association,” says Jot Condie, CEO and President of the CRA. “He adds a growing and dynamic concept to our group of decisions makers and is a brilliant business mind.”
Eckerman is at the helm of award winning fast casual pizza concept, PizzaRev. He is heavily involved in advocacy on behalf of the restaurant industry and promotes a collaborative spirit among his peers. He sits on the National Restaurant Association’s Fast Casual Industry Council, the primary advocate for the fast casual restaurant segment, and is a regular speaker at leading industry events, including the Franchise Finance & Growth Conference and the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference.
Prior to founding PizzaRev in 2012 with longtime business partner, Irv Zuckerman, Eckerman served in a senior management capacity in diverse areas of the entertainment business. His career has included serving as President of Pace Music, COO of NYSE listed SFX’s Music Division, and Co-CEO and COO of NYSE listed Clear Channel’s Music Division. While at Clear Channel, Eckerman had P & L responsibility for operations with gross revenues in excess of 1.4 billion, including food and beverage operations grossing over 100 million per year with operations spanning the US and a large part of Europe.
PizzaRev continues to expand nationally with support from partner Buffalo Wild Wings Inc., who in 2013 announced an equity-investment in PizzaRev and announced an increase in their stake in 2014. The brand has earned a loyal following among Southern California fans that continues to spread across the country as the company enters new markets. Named one of the “10 Brands to Watch” by CNBC and #16 in the FastCasual “Top 100 Movers and Shakers,” PizzaRev has captured the attention and affection of investors and consumers alike. The company continues to seek out franchise partners who share the founders’ food-forward mission and commitment to giving back to the communities it serves.
PizzaRev is an award winning fast-casual pizza concept that has reinvented the way America eats its favorite food. Guests are empowered to fully customize a personal-sized 11″ pizza for one price. Homemade dough options, flavorful sauces, all-natural cheeses, and more than 30+ artisanal toppings, everything is on display at PizzaRev and assembled right before your eyes. The pizzas are then fired in a 900-degree, stone-hearth oven which produces a thin and crispy Roman-style pizza in just three minutes. Los Angeles-based PizzaRev was founded in 2012; the executive team possesses a combination of Fortune 500 operating experience and high-profile restaurant management.
PizzaRev is currently franchising and announced a strategic partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings in 2013. The company currently has 17 corporate restaurants and 10 franchise locations in operation, with additional franchises under development across Washington, D.C. and 12 states: CA, CO, MA, MN, MO, ND, NV, NY, OH, SD, TX and UT.
Visit www.PizzaRev.com for the latest company news and location information. You can also find PizzaRev on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.
The California Restaurant Association provides ultimate access to the resources and support restaurant professionals need to lead thriving businesses, while serving as conscientious, contributing members of an unparalleled industry. California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $70 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy.
