Staffing
Fazoli's names president as Carl Howard retires
Doug Bostick, who has been with Fazoli's for the past 21 years, will serve as president and shares his plans for growing the brand.
March 16, 2022 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
Carl Howard is retiring from his role as Fazoli's CEO after 14 years with the brand, and Doug Bostick, the brand's SVP of Operations and Franchise Development, is replacing him, according to a company press release.
When Howard joined Fazoli's in 2008, the Lexington, Kentucky-based brand was in a major slump, having just closed 150 units. It was Howard's goal to steer it back on track, and one that he accomplished, considering that it recently reported 20 consecutive months of positive same-store sales with systemwide sales up more than 21% year-over-year in 2021 and a 26% lift over 2019. The 221-unit chain has shattered sales and traffic records, celebrating the most openings and franchisee signings in its history and raising its AUV to $1.5 million, a nearly 30% increase over 2019.
Fazoli's success under Howard's leadership caught the attention of FAT Brands, which owns several restaurant concepts, and the company acquired it in November 2021 for $130 million.
"First and foremost, Carl will certainly be missed by the Fazoli's family," Bostick said in a company press release. "Carl came to the brand over a decade ago with ambitious goals, and never once did he lose sight of reaching them. I look forward to carrying the torch from Carl, continuing to bring our premium, Italian dining experience to new areas throughout the world."
Bostick, who has been with for Fazoli's for 21 years, has overseen company and franchise operations, construction, development and training. His operational expertise was paramount to Fazoli's acting swiftly to minimize the impact during the pandemic, capitalizing on off-premise channels and service opportunities, according to the release.
"I will forever be grateful for the relationships I have built at Fazoli's, in particular, with Doug," Howard said in the release. "After such a tremendous 2021, it was a challenging decision to step down; however, for personal reasons this is the best decision for my family and the brand.
Doug is a strong leader and after 20-plus years in senior positions at the company, I know he lives and breathes the Fazoli's brand. In fact, I cannot think of a better leader to take our best-in-class restaurant franchise to the next level."
Bostick's plans for the brand
Bostick, who has a background in Operations, told FastCasual that he is looking forward to growing the brand.
"Carl created a well-oiled machine so I'm not looking to do an overhaul of the business," he said. "If anything, we will be enhancing current initiatives in place. One area that will continue to be of great importance to the brand is food quality. Over the years, we have become known for our food quality, while still maintaining a strong value proposition. With rising inflation, it will be imperative to continue to identify processes to make us more efficient. This includes assessing kitchen technology."
The chain will open 15-20 locations this year and 20-25 in 2023 with a goal of hitting 300. Operations, however, have become increasingly important with the current issues plaguing the industry itself, including supply chain issues and inflation, Bostick said.
"I will continue to bring that mindset to the brand in my new role and have recently formed a task force to stay as ahead as possible of these external challenges," he said. "I also will still be as readily available to our franchisees. It is so important to have synergy between corporate and your franchisee base."
When it comes to technology, Bostick wants to stay on trend but said there was a fine line.
"You need to balance technology with the guest experience and not take away the personal connection," he said. "The pandemic was an isolating time and more than ever people want that face time. We are currently in talks with a few different technology providers that we think could enhance the Fazoli's experience, but there is nothing concrete at this time to share."
About Cherryh Cansler
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