Former Wolfgang Puck Catering executive Edie Ames has been named president and chief operating officer of The Counter Custom Built Burgers, the company said Wednesday.
Ames replaces Bryan Vicentini, who has served as president and COO of the burger chain since 2012. Vicentini has been named COO of Sauce Pizza and Wine chain, which was sold by Fox Restaurant Concepts to an investment group led by Phoenix restaurateur Scott Kilpatrick in January.
In the role, Ames will oversee both corporate and franchised operations for the more than 40-unit The Counter, along with five-unit fast-casual sister brand Built Custom Burgers.
Most recently, Ames was executive vice president of Wolfgang Puck Catering, managing more than 50 venues with volume of $150 million, the company said.
Prior to joining Puck’s group, Ames was COO of Real Mex Restaurants Inc., and, before that, she held the COO role at Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group. She also served as president of Morton’s The Steakhouse, and spent 12 years climbing the ranks from general manager to regional vice president of operations and training at California Pizza Kitchen.
“Edie has a proven track record of driving a restaurant group to success and sustaining its profitability — traits that will benefit our own growth plans,” said Craig Albert, co-CEO of Culver City, Calif.-based The Counter, in a statement. “We’re excited to have her on board.”
Jeff Weinstein, The Counter’s founder and co-CEO, added in a statement, “Edie’s grasp of hospitality and development will be instrumental as we continue to evolve and grow. Her tenacity, leadership experience, and enthusiasm make her a welcomed addition to the team.”
Both build-your-own burger concepts, The Counter and Built have been ramping up growth, both domestically and internationally.
In addition to The Counter’s 40 plus units in the U.S., there are four international locations in Ireland and the Middle East. The Built chain includes one international unit in Kuala Lumpur.
This story has been changed from its original version.
Update, August 6, 2015: This story has been updated to include information about Bryan Vicentini’s new appointment.
This story has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: Sept. 3, 2015 An earlier version of this story misstated Bryan Vicentini's title at Sauce. He is COO.
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