Staffing

BurgerFi hires former Smashburger president as CEO

Provided

May 30, 2023

BurgerFi International Inc., which owns BurgerFi and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, has hired Carl J. Bachmann, Smashburger's former president, as CEO.

"Carl brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the restaurant space that will be valuable for our enterprise," Ophir Sternberg, executive chairman of BurgerFi and founder and CEO of Lionheart Capital, said in a company press release. "His successful leadership of restaurants combined with his innovative experiences, particularly within the burger and pizza spaces, give him a unique and deep understanding of our brands — particularly how to help drive us toward growth."

During Bachmann's tenure at Denver-based Smashburger, he launched a five-point business plan designed to accelerate growth by rebuilding the leadership team, bringing back high-quality food products, redefining the real estate portfolio, launching food safety, service and cleanliness and restaurant condition initiatives as well as relaunching the brand with a new marketing team and direction, according to Stenberg.

Under his leadership, the chain experienced double-digit systemwide same-store sales growth along with double-digit expansion of both the corporate and franchise footprint. It also migrated to an e-commerce platform, resulting in a large increase in owned channel digital revenues and improved customer experience. Bachmann initially joined Smashburger in 2017 as COO before taking on the role of president.
Bachmann's executive roles also include SVP of operations for Bertucci's, a Boston-based brick-oven Italian concept, which he joined in 2014. Before Bertucci's, for nearly 18 years, Bachmann worked for Ruby Tuesday.

"My passion for the restaurant and hospitality industry started at an early age and I've been fortunate to have been able to build my career on something I truly enjoy," Bachmann said in the release. "BurgerFi and Anthony's are two amazing brands that are committed to offering guests the best quality products and service. I'm honored to take on this leadership role and help guide the organization into an exciting future."