ADDISON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fiesta Restaurant Group®, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI) has hired 24-year construction industry veteran Ed Carnevale as Vice President of Construction Services to support growth of its Taco Cabana® and Pollo Tropical® fast-casual brands.
Carnevale will report to Chief Development Officer John Todd and oversee the full integration of construction processes and systems for both Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical, including standardized reporting and execution across both brands.
“This is a significant hire for Fiesta Restaurant Group as we ramp up our development and execute our strategic growth plan,” said Tim Taft, CEO of Fiesta Restaurant Group. “Acceleration of growth is more than a ‘want to’ proposition and requires effective people, processes and systems. Ed is the perfect fit for a company such as ours that is positioning itself for accelerated growth.”
Prior to joining Fiesta Restaurant Group, Carnevale served in a number of management positions, most recently as the Senior Director of Construction for 7-Eleven® where he managed new store growth, remodel programs and energy initiatives. At 7-Eleven, Carnevale managed the development of more than 300 new stores, 800 remodels and 400 acquisition conversion remodels per year.
Carnevale also developed the first LEED certified 7-Eleven in Florida. CSP Magazine recently recognized Carnevale for excellence in environmental stewardship.
About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. owns and operates the Pollo Tropical® and Taco Cabana® restaurant brands with 255 company-owned and operated restaurants and 44 franchised restaurants in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela as of March 31, 2013. The brands specialize in the operation of fast-casual, ethnic restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. Both brands feature made-from-scratch cooking, fresh salsa bars, and drive-thru service and catering. For more information about Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., visit the corporate website at www.frgi.com.