Mazzio’s LLC president and chief executive Sheri Miksa says she’s growing more confident that the fast-casual Italian concept is well positioned in the growing segment.
Tulsa, Okla.-based Mazzio’s named Miksa president and CEO in mid-January. The company owns and franchises the 140-unit Mazzio’s Italian Eatery chain and the three-unit full-service Oliveto Italian Bistro brand. The company operates restaurants in 10 states.
Miksa has a long background with fast-casual concepts. Most recently, she was chief executive at the Atlanta-based fast-casual chain Boneheads Grilled Fish & Piri Piri Chicken. Previously, she was chief executive at the 150-unit Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill and 140-unit Robeks brands. She has also worked with what is now Seattle’s Best Coffee, when it was owned by AFC Enterprises Inc., Taco Bell and LSG Sky Chefs.
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Miksa discussed her background and what drew her to the 50-year-old Mazzio’s with Nation’s Restaurant News.
You started in hospitality management in Deadhorse, Alaska, on Prudhoe Bay.
It was quite an adventure. My first management job was running a hotel on top of the Alaska pipeline. I ran a 1,900-bed hotel that was an all-union operation. It was where all the oil field workers lived when they were building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. That was my starting point in foodservice and hospitality management. Now, 25-plus years later, it goes back to the same thing: It’s about taking good care of your guests. It’s about giving them great food and beverage. It’s about providing a warm, welcoming environment. It really is about having excellent people striving for excellence every day.
What drew you to Mazzio’s?
What I particularly like about Mazzio’s is that it’s a heritage brand with a rich history and legacy. It’s been in the business for 50-plus years with a very humble start at Ken’s Pizza Parlor in Tulsa, Okla., in 1961. Mazzio’s is a fast-casual concept, which is the segment that I’ve had the most experience in and continue to believe is the place to be in the industry.
What do you see as Mazzio’s strengths?
It’s fast casual and offers a full menu of pizzas, pasta, hot Italian sandwiches, great starters and desserts, as well as a fresh, all-you-can eat salad bar. It is beautiful and attracts a lot of guests to our restaurants, because they can build their own salads. That’s been a great differentiator for us over the years.
How important is a long-term staff?
We have a very deep tenured team, both in management and hourly. There is tremendous tenure. They are committed and passionate about our Mazzio’s brand. As I’ve been out in the restaurants, a lot of guests will tell me they go to a particular location is because they know the people and they get great service. It just brings them back in again and again. They often know our team members and managers by name. This is a challenging business, the restaurant industry, and to have this tenure is really wonderful.
How do you retain that?
We have what I call Mazzio’s Mondays once a month at our restaurant support center. We just recognized two of our team members. One had been with us 40 years, and one for 44 years. Having that kind of depth of experience and knowledge of our brand — you can’t just trade that. This is a people business. We’re lucky to have that kind of tenure. It speaks volumes about the kind of experience guests can have in our restaurants.
How do you approach the business?
Food and beverage will bring guests in; it’s the service and experience that will bring them back.
Fitting in and growing
What advantages does Mazzio’s have in the segment?
I think fast-casual Italian is an underserved market. While there are a number of pizza players, the fact that we have a full Italian restaurant menu served in a fast-casual setting is really differentiating. You can come in a get anything from our Dippers or wings or Toasted Raviolis as a starter and then a full fresh salad bar. A number of our restaurants also have a drive thru, so there’s convenience. They can also call ahead an order, and our call center will take care of getting their order and routing it to their nearest restaurant. We also deliver all of our products. So it does fit peoples’ lifestyles.
How many of your units are franchised?
We’re a little over half. Of our 140 units, we’re 55 [percent franchised], 45 [percent company-owned]. The franchised system is just a little bigger than our company system, so we’re a good mix.
What is the biggest challenge for Mazzio’s?
For any restaurant, the category has become so competitive. People are getting their food options at many different places these days. So our opportunity is to continue to serve our guests in a distinctive way and provide our products in many ways so people can choose how they want to enjoy the products. There is a lot of competition for our guests’ dollars, which means we have to do our best every day.
How does the Oliveto Italian Bistro brand fit into the mix?
It’s a neighborhood bistro, full-service concept. It’s for people who want to experience the full dining experience with the bar, the entrees for lunch and dinner. Oliveto was born in 2008. We have three locations: one in Tulsa, Okla., one in Moore, Okla., and another in Tyler, Texas.
What about growth?
We’re in just 10 states now, so to me that’s 40 more that have potential. There’s demand out there. There’s interest out there.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless
