LOS ANGELES—California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. announced the appointment of five new executives it hopes will help stabilize operational and real estate issues that have troubled the 165-unit chain over the past two years (see related stories California Pizza Kitchen SVP departs under fire for site selection and California Pizza Kitchen CEO resigns, site reassessments underway, stock price falling).
According to a news release, the new appointments came from within and outside the company.
* Tom Beck has been appointed senior vice president of construction. He will oversee on-site development of new locations throughout the country. Beck was the director of construction for CPK from June 1993 to June 1995. Prior to rejoining CPK, he was national construction manager for Shawmut Design & Construction.
* Clint Coleman is the company's new vice president of development. He will lead the design and remodeling of CPK restaurants and play an important role in the development of new and existing concepts. Coleman joined CPK in 1987 and has since held several operational positions. In December 2002, he was chief operating officer for the LA Food Show concept launched by CPK co-chairmen and co-CEOs Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield (see related story California Pizza Kitchen to revive 'ASAP' and enlarge restaurant bars).
* Garry J. Gay is CPK's new vice president of human resources. He will oversee benefits, risk, management training and recruitment and other corporate-wide employee functions. A 25-year restaurant industry veteran, Gay is the former vice president of human resources for Dallas-based Spaghetti Warehouse, Inc./Consolidated Restaurant Operations.
* Joel K. Mayer is the company's new vice president of real estate, and will lead the lease negotiation and landlord relationship function as well as share the responsibility with the development team for the development process. Formerly with Madison Marquette, Mayer has experience in all facets of development and leasing, including urban street retail, neighborhood, community, power and regional shopping centers.
* Brian Sullivan was promoted to vice president of food operations. Sullivan will work with Flax and Rosenfield on the creation of new menu items and will be responsible for the coordination of national roll-outs of new menu items. He also will monitor the company's newly reinstated quality assurance team. Sullivan also is CPK's former director of menu development.
"We're maximizing the talent of some of our best people by promoting them, which we are quite proud of, as well as recruiting outside the organization to bring in some of the industry's most respected talent," Flax said in the release. "As California Pizza Kitchen focuses on future growth and development, it is essential that our senior team be comprised of the most skilled and talented people."
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