News

Garbanzo announces leadership additions

April 16, 2014

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill has announced updates to its board of directors and senior leadership team to better align with long-term growth objectives, according to a company press release. Rob Doran, current CEO of Granite City Food & Brewery, and Michael Staenberg, founder of The Staenberg Group, have been appointed to Garbanzo's board of directors. Ralph Decker, a former McDonald's exec, also joins the Garbanzo senior leadership team as director of field services.

"With a quickly growing concept like Garbanzo, it's critical to have experienced senior leadership capable of innovating and expanding our business to the next level," said Alon Mor, Garbanzo founder, president and CEO. "I'm confident the vast industry experiences Rob, Michael and Ralph possess will be instrumental in future company and franchise expansion."

Doran brings substantial expertise in business consulting, executive leadership and various aspects of restaurant management to this board position. In addition to serving as the current CEO of Granite City Food & Brewery, Doran is a managing partner of Concept Development Partners LLC, a merchant banking firm focusing on principal investments and consulting in the restaurant, food processing and retail industries since 2010. He is also the founder of the niche consulting group Doran Consulting, providing executive coaching to companies like McDonald's Corporation, Boston Market, Delphi Auto Parts and Moroch Advertising Agency. A restaurant industry veteran, Doran spent 32 years with McDonald's Corporation, most recently as executive vice president of McDonald's U.S. Doran serves on the board of the directors of Hawaii Development Company and McDonald's of Hawaii.

Staenberg has spent more than 35 years in the commercial real estate industry, developing 150 retail shopping centers in more than 25 states. In 2012, he founded The Staenberg Group, dedicated to building premiere properties designed for long-term ownership and management, according to the release. Previously, Staenberg co-founded and served as president of THF Reality, where he grew the business into the third-largest commercial real estate firm in the U.S. Prior to founding THF, Staenberg was senior vice president and director of Real Estate for the Leo Eisenberg Company, a national real estate development organization.

Decker's career spans five decades, most notably with McDonalds Corporation, where he spent more than 40 years cultivating business, developing talent and leading strategic initiatives, according to the release. During his time at McDonald's, Decker led numerous projects to enhance business operations including the innovation of the Double Booth and Tandem Speaker Drive-Thru Systems. Most recently, Decker served as managing director for Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill/Bartini's, where he led the integration of the chain into the Granite City Food & Brewery Corporation. Decker's proven ability to innovate and overcome complex challenges to beat the competition will be instrumental in his role as director of field services of Garbanzo, said Bob Bafundo, Garbanzo vice president of company and franchise operations.