DALLAS, July 11, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Romacorp, Inc., parent of Tony Roma's restaurants, today announced Marc Buehler has been named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. Buehler will oversee all day-to-day operations of the company and will report directly to the Romacorp board, which includes Chairman John Morgan and restaurant industry veteran Ken Reimer. Romacorp also announced that President and CEO David Head has resigned to take another position within the industry.
"Marc is a strong leader who understands the Tony Roma's brand," said Morgan. "He is the right person to build on the positive momentum we are experiencing."
Buehler joined Romacorp as Vice President of Marketing in 2002, and has been instrumental in the repositioning efforts that have led to four consecutive years of same store sales increases. During that period the company has developed a new prototype, a remodel template, and created several brand extensions including a fast, casual version of the Tony Roma's concept.
Head, who joined Romacorp in 2003 and has led the company through a major financial restructuring and concept revitalization, has accepted an opportunity at a larger restaurant company.
"We've made great progress under David's leadership and we wish him well in his new endeavor," Morgan said. "We have a solid team in place and are confident that Marc will help lead us to the next level."
Prior to joining Romacorp, Buehler served as Vice President of Marketing for Eateries, Inc., parent of the Garfield's Restaurant and Pub, Garcia's of Scottsdale and Pepperoni Grill concepts. Previously he was a marketing manager for Applebee's International, where he directed franchise media and strategic marketing efforts in major markets throughout the U.S. Earlier in his career, Buehler managed sales, media and promotion functions with ESPN Regional in Kansas.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to lead this great team of operators, franchise partners and dedicated support center leaders," Buehler said. "Tony Roma's is a great brand and with our restructuring behind us, the potential for growth is huge."
Said Head, "I'm proud to have served with such a dedicated group and am certain Marc and the team will achieve the high performance goals we've established. It was a difficult decision to leave, but an opportunity I simply could not pass up."
Romacorp, Inc. is the operator of Tony Roma's restaurants, the world's largest casual dining concept specializing in ribs. Romacorp, Inc. currently operates 22 restaurants and, through its subsidiary companies, franchises 189 restaurants in 23 states and 32 foreign countries and territories. The first Tony Roma's restaurant opened 34 years ago in North Miami, Florida, and today the concept includes restaurant operations that span six continents.