IMAGE: Jonathan Weiss
One of America’s longest-running pizza franchising experts is making strategic leadership changes to further its continued success.
RAVE Restaurant Group, Inc. recently announced that it had appointed a selection of fresh talent to unify its management structure and raise the bar for franchising in this dynamic and effervescent industry. The group’s restaurant franchises – Pizza Inn and Pie Five Pizza – could soon see even quicker growth.
Notable additions to the RAVE team include Mike Burns as COO, and Douglas Kwong as vice president of marketing. Burns brings over 10 years of franchising experience to the table, including eight years as the director of operations support for Bojangles’ Famous Chicken n Biscuits. Kwong, who will direct marketing for all RAVE brands, is also an industry veteran. His most recent role was that of director of eCommerce and digital marketing for Pei Wei Asian Kitchen, which saw overall digital sales rise from eight per cent to 30 per cent of company revenue.
The RAVE story technically began back in 1958, with the opening of the first Pizza Inn in Dallas. The brand began franchising in 1963, and Pizza Inn went international in the late 1970s. In 2011, the organization opened the first Pie Five Pizza Co. restaurant, which began franchising in 2013. Pizza Inn Holdings, Inc. became RAVE Restaurant Group in 2015, to reflect the company’s transformation to a muli-brand portfolio group.
“I’m extremely excited to add such incredible talent to our team,” said Brandon Solano, CEO of RAVE. “Mike is a true operator and understands the importance of driving unit economics and profitable traffic.”
“Douglas is a well-rounded marketer with strong experience in the digital arena,” he continued. “He previously ran digital marketing for Cici’s Pizza, and is precisely what we need to modernize our marketing. Our new team brings a fresh perspective and modern approach to leadership at RAVE.”
