Patina Group’s president steps downPatina Group’s president steps down

NEW YORK Richard Stockinger has stepped down as president of high-end restaurant operator and contractor Patina Restaurant Group to “pursue opportunities in mergers and acquisitions,” company officials said Thursday. No successor has been named.

Stockinger, who was named president in 2003, previously served as the company’s chief financial officer from 1992 to 2003. He joined the company in 1985.

Patina Restaurant Group is a multi-concept operator with restaurants and onsite foodservice operations split between the East and West coasts, including Rock Center Café, The Sea Grill, Brasserie and Naples 45 in New York; and Paperfish, Nick and Stef’s Steakhouse, Café Pinot and the flagship Patina in Southern California.