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Luna snags former Taco Bell, CKE execs to lead growth

Photo: Luna Grill

October 11, 2019

Luna Grill has appointed two industry veterans in hopes of accelerating growth. Rich Pinnella, a former VP at Taco Bell, is the brand's first chief brand officer, and Bob Bartlett, who held senior finance positions at CKE Restaurants, is now Luna's CFO.

During Pinnella's Taco Bell tenure, he guided U.S.-based and international leaders through an aggressive international expansion to over 500 restaurants, Luna Grill CEO Sean Pourteymour said in a company press release.

"Rich's breadth of expertise in brand development and business model evolution is an incredible asset for us as we look to scale up in California and beyond," Pourteymour said. "Additionally, his collaborative leadership style is a perfect fit for our culture."

Through multiple food, beverage, day-part launches and international development, Pinnella contributed to Taco Bell's growth from a $4 billion to a more than $10.5 billion organization.

"I am energized to work with the teams, making the brand more accessible, contemporary and telling the story about our ingredient quality and scratch kitchens. People love our food, but don't realize all the quality that goes into our clean ingredients and daily preparation," Pinnella said in the release.

Before making his move to Luna Grill, Bartlett most recently served as the CFO at BLD Brands and VP of finance at Real Mex Restaurants. 

Bartlett and his team will be key when it comes to identifying potential new markets and bringing prudent acceleration and growth, Pourteymour said.

Speaking of growth...

Luna opened its 50th location Friday at 121 E. Katella Ave., Suite 10, in Anaheim, California. The flagship Orange County outpost features the company's new interior style — a blend of light and airy elements with gold, silver and blue details, designed to create a transparent, interactive and welcoming environment for guests and team members — according to a company press release.

It also includes a dog-friendly, 500-square-foot patio, designated pick-up and to-go order areas to better facilitate online ordering and third-party delivery services.