Operations

Papa Gino's, D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches hires execs to upgrade customer experience

March 7, 2022

New England Authentic Eats LLC, the parent company of Papa Gino's and D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, has tapped two senior restaurant industry executives to help it create a seamless guest experience. Deena McKinley, who has served as NEAE's CMO since 2019, is now the brand's chief experience officer, and Kevin Bentley, who has a technology and management background, has joined the company as VP of Technology & Automation.

"Our core menu items — like Papa Gino's pizza and D'Angelo's classic Steak & Cheese — have been fan favorites for generations of New Englanders who have grown up with them," NEAE President and CEO Tom Sterrett said in a company press release. "While our recipes and quality of ingredients haven't changed, the way guests interact with our brands has shifted dramatically during the past two years. Recognizing the importance of Deena and Kevin's positions aligns with our plans for growth as we build the Papa Gino's and D'Angelo of the future to exceed guest expectations for service, selection and speed. I look forward to working with both of them to accomplish that vision."

During the pandemic, McKinley immersed the company in best practices for guest communication around digital ordering, third-party delivery platforms, contactless carryout and in-restaurant ordering, while revamping its presence across channels, according to the release. Since joining the company as CMO, she has elevated the visibility of Papa Gino's and D'Angelo through numerous initiatives, an ongoing food delivery program to community heroes; personalized guest journeys through digital marketing; growth of social platforms and use of influencers to increase following and engagement; community programs and large-scale giveaways to solidify positioning as neighborhood staples.

"It's been an incredible journey with these two iconic brands since 2019. I'm continuously motivated by the love of our guests and commitment of our team members," McKinley said. "We've quietly accomplished a lot, and now, with Kevin on board, we can accelerate our plans for a modernized Papa Gino's and D'Angelo that reaches our guests where they are, meeting their expectations for consistency, quality, speed and accessibility in our digital world. I couldn't be more excited about partnering with Kevin to advance our company's connection with our guests."

Prior to joining NEAE, McKinley served as chief experience officer at Mobivity, a customer engagement marketing platform, working with national multi-unit restaurant companies such as Subway, Jamba Juice and Dairy Queen. Previously, she was chief client officer at Zimmerman Advertising, working with restaurant clients such as Papa John's Pizza, Boston Market and Firehouse Subs.

Bentley will lead NEAE's technology team and work closely with McKinley to optimize restaurant, company and guest experiences through digital automation and innovation, from back-office to data analytics, mobile ordering, website and loyalty.

"This is an ideal opportunity for me to bring my years of technology, innovation, automation and analytics experience, as well as my entrepreneurial mindset to this growing company," Bentley said in the release. "I was excited about coming to New England Authentic Eats because of the enthusiasm of the guests — on a level I've never seen before — and the enthusiasm of the team. I'm looking forward to partnering with Tom, Deena and everyone at the company to help drive us to the next level."

McKinley and Bentley's first joint effort was the selection of its digital operating system, Lunchbox. As NEAE's latest digital strategic partner, Lunchbox will be a key in developing a website and app that represents NEAE's mission to build a frictionless guest experience and enhanced digital journey, offering innovative and accessible ordering solutions, according to the release.

Before joining NEAE, Bentley served as director of automation technology and innovation at Inspire Brands, where he leveraged data and consumer-facing and back-end technology platforms to support everything from ordering to operations, driving profitability and a streamlined customer experience.

Bentley began his career as a professional football player after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns, where he was voted 2002 Team Rookie of the Year for exceptional performance. He played for a few other teams and reached the pinnacle of the sport, making it to the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.

After leaving the NFL, he earned an MBA from Rice University and a Master of Information Systems from Northwestern University.