Following this week’s announcement that The Halal Guys hired former Qdoba VP of human resources and training, Mike Speck, as COO, comes the hiring of two strong operations and training professionals to the team. Mame Fall and Juan Bustamante, who have a combined total of almost 30 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, will work directly under Speck. Fall has worked with Le Pain Quotidien, where he served in various multi-unit management and kitchen trainer roles, and opened more than 30 restaurants from New York City to Washington, D.C. 

Bustamante has worked with Boston Market since 1996, where he developed over 100 managers and was in charge of up to 30 restaurant locations as area manager. 

Mike Speck, the newly hired COO, is developing the corporate team, along with CEO Ahmed Abouelenein, to ensure the brand’s growing group of franchisees is supported with best in class training and operations. Speck is a 25-year restaurant industry veteran, whose most recent role as VP of human resources and training for Qdoba Mexican Grill involved growing the company from 100 to 600 restaurants, employing 7,000 employees, and producing over $600 million in system wide annual sales.