John Theuer named CFO of Pizza StudioJohn Theuer named CFO of Pizza Studio

Former Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chief financial officer John Theuer has been named the first CFO of fast-casual pizza brand Pizza Studio, the company announced Tuesday.

A 25-year industry veteran, Theuer most recently was part of the executive team that guided the sale of Coffee Bean to a trio of private-equity firms led by Advent International. Prior to that, he was CFO of Panda Restaurant Group Inc., parent of the Panda Express chain, from July 1999 to December 2010. Samit Varma, Pizza Studio’s founder and CEO, said in a statement that Theuer is charged with helping direct the brand’s strategic growth.

“As we continue to grow the brand and enjoy our status as the most preferred fast-casual pizza concept, we are always looking for ways to take the company to the next level,” said Varma. “John’s experience in financial management, real estate development and capital raising are a timely addition that will help us realize our vision for the Pizza Studio brand.”

Theuer in a statement said he was looking to work with a growth concept.

“Pizza Studio has excellent unit economics, a track record of growth, a great management team and a world-class group of franchisees. I am excited to be part of such a high-performance team bringing this great product to markets across the country and internationally.”

Based in Calabasas, Calif., Pizza Studio has 30 units.

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