Rave Restaurant Group Inc. on Monday named Bob Bafundo the new president of Pizza Inn.
Bafundo has more than 30 years of restaurant experience and will oversee Pizza Inn operations, marketing, training and development. He will report directly to Rave CEO Randy Gier.
“We’re excited for Bob to join the Rave team,” Gier said in a statement. “Bob has a proven level of leadership, a track record of building strong teams, driving performance and working with franchisees to create great customer experiences. We look forward to the impact he will have on continuing to rebuild the Pizza Inn brand.”
Bafundo was most recently president of Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Denver-based fast-casual chain. Bafundo has a background in operations and has worked with companies like KFC, Tin Star Southwest Grill, Back Yard Burgers and Rax Restaurants.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to join the Pizza Inn family,” Bafundo said in a statement. “My initial focus will be on fully immersing myself in the brand and culture, which includes visiting restaurants, meeting with employees of all levels and, of course, sampling all the great pizza.”
Pizza Inn has 167 locations in the U.S. and 71 locations in international markets. The chain was founded in 1958. Same-store sales declined 1.7 percent in the chain’s fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 27.
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