Fast Casual Industry Council Steering Committee Members

Geoff Alexander
President, Wow Bao
Since joining Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) in May 1993, Geoff Alexander has worked with some of the most notable concepts in LEYE's ever-burgeoning local, national and international portfolio, including Mity Nice Grill; Shaw's Crab House; Big Bowl (NRN's Hot Concepts, May 2000); Vong's Thai Kitchen (VTK) named one of "Chicago's Top 20 New Restaurants," (Chicago magazine, May 2002), Shanghai Circus (now Big Bowl Chinese Express) inside nine Byerly's and Lund's grocery stores in the Minnesota market, Frankie's Scaloppine at the 900 Shops on North Michigan Avenue and now Wow Bao, a concept focusing on steamed Asian buns.

In January 2009 Alexander took the position of President of Wow Bao. In this role, Alexander's focus is on expanding the concept to other areas of Chicago and beyond, putting it on par with other quick-serve, fresh dining experiences.

Under Alexander's guidance, Wow Bao has implemented on-line ordering both from an iPhone app and from computer desktops for pick-up orders, bicycle delivery and domestic shipping. He has also installed self-ordering kiosks for guest ordering. Aside from pioneering the @baomouth twitterfeed into a well respected Chicago Social Media influencer, Alexander partnered with Foursquare to have Wow Bao as one of its first Chicago restaurants offerings. Wow Bao has also flourished through a text messaging platform that Alexander created.

Paul Barron
Chief Digital Media & Fusion Officer, Pizza Fusion

Paul Barron is considered to be one of the top innovators in the restaurant industry. He is the founder of Fastcasual.com and many leading trade events and publications and also serves as digital brand advisor to top global restaurant concepts. He is also the Author of the Chipotle Effect, the story of the Fast Casual consumer and is leading the charge on the digital future of the restaurant business.

He focuses his time at DigitalCoCo a new media company for social tactics, digital brand development and restaurant social analytics. In addition he serves as the Chief Digital Media & Fusion Officer for Pizza Fusion. Serving in this capacity he leads the brands digital media efforts and strategic positioning for the brand in all areas of consumer digital and in-store engagement.

Louis Basile
CEO, Wildflower Bread Company
Louis Basile is the CEO of Wildflower Bread Co. in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is considered one of the most passionate leaders in the Fast Casual restaurant segment. Wildflower is known for great food and a passion for its customers. Louis was on the founding committee of the Fast Casual Executive Summit and in 2008, was elected to lead the Fast Casual Executive Alliance as president. He is currently the Chairman of the FCIC Steering Committee.

Don Fox
CEO, Firehouse of America LLC
Tapping his impressive 34 years in franchising, restaurant management, corporate management, R&D, and Human Resources, Don leads the strategic, nationwide growth of Firehouse of America, LLC, overseeing 400+ restaurants and 6,000 employees. He serves as a chief spokesperson, sits on various boards of influence in the restaurant community, and is a respected speaker, commentator and blogger for the restaurant business.

Passionate about traveling to baseball games with his family, Don is also a trumpeter, historian, and the published author of Patton’s Vanguard, a book about the United States Army Fourth Armored Division.

George Green
Vice president, Bread & Company
A native of New Orleans and graduate of the University of North Carolina, Green is currently spearheading the growth, expansion, training, and organizational development for Bread & Company — an artisan bakery/café chain based in Nashville, Tenn. During the current management team’s time with the company, Bread & Company has grown by 45% (mostly from same store sales growth), and boxed lunch sales have grown from $35,000 to $150,000 per month. For the last 2 years in a row, Bread & Company has been named to INC magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies. Only 148 food and beverage industry companies made the list this year.

Although Bread & Company is a leader in the implementation of technology, Green argues that nothing is more important than having great people serving great food. "From the very beginning of my career working for the Ralph Brennan family and the House of Blues, I realized that great food was not enough for success in the restaurant business. To be truly excellent, restaurants also needed great people and great people practices. Obviously, this is truer than ever with the challenging economic conditions and demographic trends we will all face in the months and years to come."

Geoff Hill
Vice president, Roark Capital Group
Geoff officially joined Roark Capital Group in January of 2010 as Vice President. Roark Capital is a Private Equity Firm based in Atlanta, GA with $1.5B of capital under management. At Roark, Geoff is responsible for leading the sourcing activity for the Firm’s franchise and multi-unit investments as well as working with the CEO’s and Management teams of the existing portfolio to help them grow and maximize value. Roark Capital currently owns 8 restaurant brands representing over 4000 locations worldwide and over $2B in system-wide sales.

Prior to joining Roark in January of 2010, Geoff Hill was the President of Cinnabon, part of FOCUS Brands the franchisor of 3,300 ice cream stores, bakeries, and cafes. In additional to his role as President of Cinnabon, at FOCUS Brands Hill held responsibilities for franchise sales, real estate, design & construction, and franchise administration.

Hill currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program for the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the Board of Trustees for the IFA Educational Foundation.

David Jones
CEO, Blazing Onion

David Jones is the CEO and founder of a Pacific Northwest gourmet burger restaurant, the Blazing Onion. The Blazing Onion is known for their high standards in quality, use of sustainable farms, localized sourcing, in house made menu items and a large selection of Northwest craft beers. With their unique “service on demand” system that lets the customer drive their service experience, they are a ground breaking company in the outlying Seattle area. Starting with only $100,000 to invest, the Blazing Onion has grown from one small start up in 2007 to four restaurants with more restaurants already scheduled to begin construction. In 2011, largely in part to David’s leadership, the company exceeded 9 million in sales and experienced double digit same store sales growth. The brand has won the South Sound Best Burger for the last two years and is vying for the top spot in the Best of Western Washington.

David is passionate about using innovative technology in his restaurants including using self-ordering kiosk, a “service on demand” key call system, head phone communication, 3D Televisions for Sporting Events and partnering with Coca-Cola to become the first Northwest Company to incorporate 100% use of Freestyle Machines.

David has been a Subway franchisee for 14 years, serving on the Seattle Local Marketing Board representing over 300 restaurants for the last 7. He has been an active member of the Fast Casual Executive Summit Planning Group proudly representing the smaller companies.

Husein Kitabwalla
President, Retail Brand Group, LLC
As president, Husein Kitabwalla leads the strategic direction of the Retail Brand Group, LLC, Sodexo’s retail restaurant development team that offers Sodexo clients access to a comprehensive portfolio of nine fast-casual restaurant concepts in all of the most popular restaurant categories. Each of Retail Brand Group’s concepts, including the award-winning Jazzman’s Café and Pandini’s, is a fully-supported operation offering memorable, guest-pleasing dining experiences, and a reputation for innovation and service. Kitabwalla, who joined the company in 1999, is considered an industry expert on retail trends and operations and has spoken on the retail environment and creating an over the top customer experience at a number of events.

Born and raised in Kenya, Africa, Kitabwalla moved to the United States in 1987 when he received a scholarship to attend the College of Wooster in Ohio. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, he began his career as a foodservice director at Ashland College in Ohio. At Ashland, Husein gained valuable experience in the non-commercial business segment as well as general operations, but it was his experience managing a collection of restaurants on Main Street USA at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., where he sharpened his skill for creating unforgettable customer experiences. As area operations manager, he oversaw the concept development and operations of six restaurants totaling over $30 million, and served on the President’s Council on Guest Services.

Husein has received many awards and accolades during his career and was named a “Mover and Shaper” in Restaurants & Institutions magazine.

Amy O'Neil
Co-Founder and CEO, PhaseNext Hospitality

Amy is co-founder & Chief Operating Officer of PhaseNext Hospitality, a Texas-based franchise restaurant operating company, focused on restaurant development in non-traditional venues including airports, military bases, train stations, corporate dining and college campuses. PhaseNext Hospitality is a minority & woman-owned business, both HUB and ACDBE certified. PhaseNext Hospitality has a portfolio of franchise fast-casual and full service restaurant concepts including Buffalo Wild Wings, Corner Bakery Café, Freshii & Smashburger.

Prior to PhaseNext Hospitality, Amy spent 15 years helping grow Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee Company into the second largest publicly-traded specialty coffee brand in the United States. As Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, she was responsible for company & franchise operations, construction, facilities management, retail store support and communications.

Larry Reinstein
President and CEO, Salsarita's
Larry Reinstein is President and CEO ofSalsarita’s Holdings LLC. Previously, Mr. Reinsten was President and CEO of Fresh City, a successful and fast growing multi-concept restaurant company featuring unique menu offerings and environments where the freshness of the food takes center stage. Founded in 1997 and under Mr. Reinstein’s leadership, Fresh City has successfully become an award winning, favorite fast-casual destination that is poised for national expansion. With numerous acclaims including the 2002 "Hot Concepts" award by Nation's Restaurant News presentedin Chicago at the National Restaurant show, Fresh City has evolved through strategic branding including the institution of a new community-centered marketing campaigns, the implementation of cutting-edge training programs, and the development of over 70 unique fusion-based menu items. Today, Fresh City offers a wide assortment of freshly made-to-order menu items, including salads, wraps, Asian noodle and stir-fry dishes and smoothies in a comfortably sophisticated, yet energized atmosphere.

Marc Simon
President and CEO, Rubio's Restaurants
Marc S. Simon has been the President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Rubio’s Restaurants since April 2011. Mr. Simon also served as the Chief Operating Officer from September 2009 and Senior Vice President of Operations from November 2007 to September 2009. Before joining Rubio’s, Mr. Simon served as Chief Executive Officer for America’s Incredible Pizza Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma from October 2006 to August 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Simon worked for McDonald’s Corporation as Vice President for Corporate Development from 1994 to 1998. Mr. Simon led the team that brought Chipotle Mexican Grill into McDonald’s and later served as Regional Director for Chipotle from 1998 to 2006. In addition, Mr. Simon spent 17 years with Ernst & Young’s Midwest Consulting Practice where he focused on strategic issues across the restaurant, distribution, manufacturing and service industries. Mr. Simon has a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Library and Informational Science from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University.

Ian Vaughn
Chief Operating Officer, Fry Cook & Cashier, Raising Cane's
As the Chief Operating Officer for Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Ian Vaughn is responsible for leading more than 120 restaurants and 4000 crewmembers. His goals are to continue spreading Raising Cane’s Vision to open great restaurants across the nation and eventually the world and to help bring Cane’s to the leader of quality chicken finger meals, great crews, cool culture, and active involvement in Cane’s communities.

In 2002, Ian began his career with Raising Cane’s as a Shift Manager while he was a senior in college at LSU where he graduated in 2003. Ian quickly progressed to become the youngest General Manager in Raising Cane’s and he accomplished this within four months of joining the company through the constant coaching and development from his leaders and peers.

During his tenure in the GM position at the Siegen Lane location, Ian led the restaurant to become the flagship training location, ultimately gaining national recognition by Nation’s Restaurant News (a nation-wide trade publication) in an issue recognizing “50 General Manager’s Orchestrating Success.”

Throughout Ian’s career with Raising Cane’s, he has held leadership positions in Operations, Franchise Operations, Human Resources, and New Restaurant Openings. Under Ian’s leadership, Raising Cane’s has been recognized nationally with numerous awards, most notably those voted on by Customers in the Sandelman & Associates Ratings who have placed Raising Cane’s in the Top 4 in all of QSR for overall Operational Experience for the past five consecutive years. These achievements along with many other’s progressed Ian to be promoted to the Chief Operating Officer in January, 2009, where he leads all of Operations, a variety of Human Resource functions, and many of Raising Cane’s strategic initiatives.

Jim Vinz
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Le Duff America
Jim is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Le Duff America, a portfolio company of over 500+ cafes consisting of Bruegger’s Bagels, la Madeleine Country French Café, Brioche Doree, Timothy’s World Coffee and other regional brands in Canada. Jim is charged with leading the strategic growth of the portfolio both in the company-owned and franchise development arenas. Prior to joining Le Duff America, Jim was the President/COO of Corner Bakery Café where he led the growth from a small start-up to a nationwide brand known for its award winning people practices and industry leading catering strategy.

Deeply committed to ending childhood hunger, Jim has served as the Chairman of the Advisory Board for Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry in both 2011 and 2012. Jim completed his undergraduate studies at Bethany Lutheran College and holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Nick Vojnovic
President, Little Greek Franchise Development, LLC
Nick Vojnovic is the President and majority partner of Little Greek Franchise Development, LLC, since April of 2011. Little Greek is a fast growing, high quality Greek restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida. Little Greek currently has four stores in the Tampa Bay area and one in Dallas, Texas, with 3 units currently under construction. Prior to Little Greek, Vojnovic had a 12 year stint as President of Beef 'O' Brady's Family Sports Pubs, also based in Tampa. His strong work ethic was instrumental in helping Beef ‘O’ Brady’s grow from 30 units, mostly in the Tampa area, to a chain of more than 260 units located in 23 states.

Before joining Family Sports Concepts, Vojnovic was Vice President of Human Resources for Famous Dave's of America, a 140-unit barbeque and blues chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Vojnovic also was the Director of Recruiting and Training at Sunstate Ventures, a 13-unit franchisor of Chili's Grill and Bar in Tampa. Vojnovic is the former Chairman of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. He has become a regular on Fox Business with over 10 appearances, and has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal. Vojnovic was awarded with the distinction of the Elliot Motivator of the Year award, a Golden Chain award, and was an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. Vojnovic graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in 1981 and is scheduled to complete his MBA at Univerisity of South Florida’s Business School in May of 2012. He serves as a Board member of 5 start-up restaurant companies. He and his wife Rene have two children, Jonathan and Lauren.

Dave Wolfgram
Founder of Go Roma & CEO of Forklift Brands, the parent company of Go Roma and Boudin Bakeries
Dave Wolfgram began his career in the restaurant industry in the 1970's managing Hedon Place, an independent restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. In 1979, he joined Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE), a Chicago, Illinois multi-concept restaurant company, where he held a variety of positions for a number of restaurant concepts.

In 1991, Wolfgram co-founded Maggiano's Little Italy and the Corner Bakery Café, a LEYE restaurant concept. In 1996, Corner Bakery Café was acquired by Brinker International, a Dallas, Texas based publicly-owned restaurant corporation (NYSE-EAT). Wolfgram served as president and led the Corner Bakery Café expansion across the United States until 2003, when he left to start the development of Go Roma Italian Kitchen. At the time of his departure, Corner Bakery Café had grown to 80 cafes, generating $140 million in annual sales.

In 2004, Wolfgram partnered with GESD Capital Partners, a San Francisco based private equity firm, to create Forklift Brands. Forklift Brands, in addition to Go Roma, operates Boudin Bakeries. Founded in the early days of the Gold Rush in 1849, Boudin Bakery is the creator of the Original San Francisco Sourdough French Bread.