Le Duff America names Jim Vinz co-CEOLe Duff America names Jim Vinz co-CEO

Ron Ruggless

Le Duff America Inc., parent company to Bruegger’s Bagels, La Madeleine Country French Café, Timothy’s World Coffee and Brioche Doree, named Jim Vinz co-chief executive on Monday.

Vinz, who resigned earlier this month as president of Dallas-based Corner Bakery Café, succeeds James Greco, who left Le Duff in late December.

Vinz will serve as co-CEO with Claude Bergeron, who is also chairman of Le Duff America, the U.S. division of the French company Groupe Le Duff.

“Jim Vinz’s vision and experience strengthens our leadership in North America’s bakery-café segment and will enhance our collective brands,” Bergeron said in a statement Monday.

Vinz had been with 120-unit Corner Bakery for 16 years, serving the last six as president and chief operations officer. During that time, ownership had changed from founder Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises to Brinker International, which then sold the chain to private equity firm Bruckmann Rosser Sherrill & Co. In June 2011, Bruckmann Rosser Sherrill sold Corner Bakery, along with parent company, Il Fornaio America Corp., to Roark Capital Group.

Vinz, who prior to Corner Bakery served as vice president of operations for Bay Street Restaurants, said in a statement that joining Le Duff America “as we are poised for great franchise growth is a very exciting opportunity.”

Le Duff America, whose parent Groupe Le Duff is headquartered in Rennes, France, operates more than 300 Bruegger’s Bakeries in North America, with about $203 million in U.S. systemwide sales, and 60 La Madeleine Country Cafes in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and the District of Columbia. Through its subsidiary, Threecaf Brands Canada Inc., it operates 137 Timothy’s World Coffee, Mmmuffins and Michel’s Bakery Cafés in Canada.

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