Al Hodges, a 30-year foodservice executive, has been appointed vice president of operations at Fazoli’s.
Hodges joins the company from Dunkin’ Brands, where he was regional vice president, responsible for more than 4,000 restaurants.
In his new position, Hodges will oversee all company and franchise operations. Fazoli’s, which operates or franchises more than 220 restaurants, is expanding, with several company and franchised units scheduled to open in 2011.
“Al’s experience extends to every aspect of company and franchise restaurant operations, and we are very excited to have another very seasoned and accomplished executive join the Fazoli’s leadership team,” says Carl Howard, president and CEO.
Hodges also served as president of the Southern Division of RTM Arby’s, including Mrs. Winners, and vice president of marketing for Cinnabon. Before that, he was director of food operations for Target Stores.
“Fazoli’s is making a remarkable comeback, which is one of the reasons I joined the company,” Hodges said. “I’m looking forward to helping both franchise and company restaurants achieve higher performance levels through a greater focus on strategic planning and unit-level execution.”
Hodges joins Fazoli’s as the premium Italian chain completes a turnaround and enters a growth phase. It has completed a brand repositioning that includes an all-new menu, the introduction of table service and a new prototype design.
The company has posted more than 12 months of same store sales increases for both franchise and company-owned units.
