Peter Piper Inc., parent of the Peter Piper Pizza chain, has promoted president Charles Bruce to the additional position of chief executive, the company said Wednesday.
Bruce, who had been named president of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company last September, succeeds Joseph Luongo, Jr., who has left the company to “pursue other interests,” a spokesperson said.
Bruce had served as Peter Piper’s chief marketing officer for three years before being named president.
“As president and CEO, I plan on continuing to build the Peter Piper Pizza brand and ensure it continues on the established growth trajectory and achieves all of our financial objectives,” Bruce said in prepared remarks. “I will also be focusing on attracting additional capital to the brand in the form of new franchisees to develop new markets.”
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Bruce has been guiding a multi-year project that has led to a re-imaging program launched in April, the company said. The goal is to redesign all 139 corporate and franchised Peter Piper restaurants with a contemporary look by 2018.
The company recently signed development agreements for the Texas cities of Amarillo, Dallas and Lubbock, and two new areas in Mexico, where it has had units for 20 years. The brand currently has about 50 locations in Mexico.
Prior to Peter Piper Pizza, Bruce was senior vice president of marketing at North Carolina-based Salsarita’s. He has also held marketing positions at Captain D’s, Damon’s, Pizza Hut and Wendy’s.
Peter Piper Inc. is owned by ACON Investments LLC.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
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