AUSTIN Texas Norman Abdallah said he is stepping down as chief executive of Fired Up Inc. here, the parent to the 150-unit Carino’s Italian Grill chain, to join the Egyptian-based Amer International, a longtime licensee of the concept.
Abdallah, who will remain on Fired Up’s board and executive committee, has been named Amer’s senior vice chairman and president. He will be moving to Egypt.
Fired Up said Thursday that Creed Ford, who co-founded the company with Abdallah, would resume the post of CEO in addition to his role as board chairman.
Carey Carrington, Fired Up’s president and chief financial officer, will join Abdallah at Amer International as vice chairman and chief administrative officer. In addition, he was appointed to the board of Fired Up.
Warren Chang, who has been Fired Up’s chief marketing officer since last September, will succeed Carrington as president of the Carino’s parent.
Fired Up also announced that Amer International, based in Heliopolis, Egypt, near Cairo, had acquired an unlimited-use license for the Carino’s brand in Africa, the Persian Gulf and parts of Asia, including India and China.
Amer International was founded in 1985 by Mansour Amer, who serves as the company’s chairman. The company develops real estate and is involved in construction, hospitality and agriculture. Amer’s real estate developments are focused on the “Porto” concept, which involves hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, marinas, malls and spas in vacation destinations. The company’s restaurant concepts include Chili’s Grill & Bar as well as Carino’s.
Amer said, “I have been business partners with Norman Abdallah since we introduced casual dining in the Middle East with Chili’s in 1994, and I now look forward to him joining our family here in Egypt.”
Ford said: “By tapping into the success we’ve enjoyed for over 10 years in North America and combining it with Amer’s extensive knowledge of world markets and the restaurant industry, we’re going to be able to offer a terrific product to consumers around the globe.”
