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A look at Golden Chain winner Scott Svenson’s initiatives at MOD PizzaA look at Golden Chain winner Scott Svenson’s initiatives at MOD Pizza

Svenson is one of the 2019 Golden Chain Awards winners who will be honored at the upcoming MUFSO conference

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

April 15, 2019

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Scott Svenson, co-founder and CEO of the Bellevue, Wash.-based MOD Pizza —the fastest growing restaurant chain in 2017, according to the NRN Top 200 data — has been named to the 2019 class of Golden Chain awards winners. The remaining winners will be announced over the next week.

Under Svenson’s leadership, MOD Pizza has grown over the past decade from a single pizzeria to 420 locations, quadrupling in size in just the last three years alone.  

The annual Golden Chain Awards celebrate the best in the restaurant industry — those who are running industry-leading operations, mentoring top teams and creating opportunities for others.

The 2019 award winners will be celebrated during a gala at Nation’s Restaurant News’ Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference, scheduled for Oct. 14-16 in Denver. The winners will also participate in a leading CEO panel at the event.

To attend MUFSO and the award gala, register at www.mufso.com.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected] 

Follow her on Twitter: @joannafantozzi

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MOD Pizza

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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