Riko's Pizza Names Restaurant and Franchise Industry Veteran Carl Bachmann President and Chief Operating Officer

Bachmann brings 30-plus years of industry and leadership experience to Riko's, having served as CEO and in other C-Suite roles at BurgerFi International (parent company of BurgerFi and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza), Smashburger, Ruby Tuesdays, and Bertucci's

Appointment sets in motion next chapter of growth for Riko's Pizza after achieving numerous key milestones in 2024

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Riko's Pizza ("Riko's" or the "Company"), a highly differentiated pizza franchise concept famous for its super-thin crust tavern-style pies, local neighborhood atmosphere, and extensive selection of craft beers, wines, and specialty cocktails, announced today that hospitality executive Carl Bachmann has been named President and Chief Operating Officer ("COO") of the Company, effective January 20, 2025.

Mr. Bachmann is an enterprise-level operator and accomplished executive with more than 30 years of diverse experience building and leading winning brands throughout the restaurant and franchise industries. In his new role at Riko's, Mr. Bachmann will oversee the Company's enterprise-wide operations and growth strategy, with a core focus on accelerating scaling initiatives and leveraging powerful insights to further resonate with the Company's dynamic customer base. Mr. Bachmann, who has previously served in the C-Suite of numerous national franchise chains (and spent more than a decade as a successful franchisee himself with Ruby Tuesdays), will also champion Riko's franchisee development and success programs. Additionally, Mr. Bachmann is responsible for helping to build Riko's into a national brand, while optimizing the Company's operational standards and corporate culture. He is based at Riko's headquarters in Stamford, CT.

"We are thrilled to welcome Carl as the new President and COO of Riko's Pizza. Carl brings not only extensive restaurant and franchise sector experience, but also direct expertise in the pizza space, to our growing business," said Rico Imbrogno, founder and CEO of Riko's Pizza. "Carl's unparalleled understanding of our industry, coupled with his proven success in responsibly growing brands, perfectly align with our goals for the Company. We believe his leadership will be instrumental in driving the next stage of our strategic growth. Moreover, his institutional knowledge of real estate selection, construction, operations, marketing, and team building in the formation of hospitality companies will allow for even greater support of our franchisees, which is paramount. There's no doubt, this is a major hire for our organization—one that reflects the incredible growth and success of our brand—and there has never been a more exciting time to be part of the Riko's Pizza story!"

Prior to joining Riko's, Mr. Bachmann served as the CEO of BurgerFi International ("BFI"), where he led the multi-concept public company that operates two notable restaurant brands, including fast-casual BurgerFi and full-service Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. At BFI, Mr. Bachmann oversaw a turnaround strategy that involved revamping food quality and menus, improving operational standards, and ultimately leading the company through a private sales process. Among other accomplishments with BFI, he built and led a cross-functional team of direct reports, launched the inaugural franchise development program for Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, and led the accelerated growth of BurgerFi, franchising 14 new restaurants in his first year while adding dozens more to the pipeline.

Before BFI, Mr. Bachmann spent six years at Smashburger where he served as COO (2017-2019) and later President and CEO (2019-2023). In this role, he had full operational and financial responsibility for the company, operating 280 locations (~55% corporate and ~45% franchise) across the United States with annual revenue in excess of $300 million—driving an increase of 30% in same-store-sales during his three years as CEO. Before Smashburger, Mr. Bachmann held numerous operations positions at Bertucci's (2013-2016), ultimately serving as the full-service chain's Chief Operating Officer, where he helped oversee the brand's (then) 86 locations generating more than $180 million in annual sales.

Mr. Bachmann first entered the multi-unit restaurant industry in 1994 with Ruby Tuesdays, serving as a General Manager of a single high-performing location and working his way up to a Director of Operations, supervising up to 20 multi-million-dollar restaurants in Connecticut and New York. In 1998, Mr. Bachmann became an official franchisee of Ruby Tuesdays, owning the exclusive rights to the Long Island (NY) market, where he built a $26 million-dollar business that grew from five to 13 locations over 12 years. Through this success, he was named Ruby Tuesday's 'Franchise of the Year' in 2007 and 2009.

"I could not be more excited to join the Riko's team," said Mr. Bachmann. "This a unique and special concept, and over the last decade, Rico and his team have done an outstanding job of putting the fundamentals in place to grow a successful business without losing the authenticity and quality of its food, atmosphere, and overall customer satisfaction. In today's day and age, you don't see that very often. As the Company now looks to take its next steps, furthering its growth trajectory by scaling up and down the East Coast and beyond, I'm thrilled to be a part of the leadership team and contributing wherever I can to accomplish the Riko's mission of redefining America's love affair with pizza."

In connection with this appointment, Riko's has made several additional C-Suite changes:

• Luigi Cardillo, the Company's long-time head of operations, finance, and technology, has been named Chief Financial & Technology Officer;
• Robert Furnari, the Company's former CFO, has transitioned to a new role as Chief Administrative Officer; and
• Dawn Imbrogno, who has overseen the Company's human resources and payroll since its inception, has been appointed the Company's Chief Human Resources Officer.

For more information about Riko's Pizza, including franchising opportunities, please visit www.RikosFranchise.com.

About Riko's Pizza:
Founded in 2011 by accomplished entrepreneur Rico Imbrogno, Riko's Pizza is a highly differentiated pizza franchise concept famous for its super-thin crust tavern-style pies, local neighborhood atmosphere, and an extensive selection of craft beers, wines, and specialty cocktails. The fast-growing brand currently operates four corporate-owned and eight franchise-owned locations across Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. The Company has numerous other U.S. locations in the pipeline, with a core focus on select markets throughout the East Coast. Riko's Pizza is known for its one-of-a-kind menu, which features signature tavern-style pizza recipes—such as the iconic Hot Oil Pie—oven-roasted wings, made-to-order salads, tasty apps, and fan-favorite desserts. Riko's locations offer both eat-in and takeout, with each site having a modern layout with a large bar, open-spaced dining rooms, outdoor spaces, numerous TVs, and a rustic-urban décor that incorporates the character of the local community. A go-to destination for families, parties, and watching sports alike, Riko's Pizza is on a mission to redefine America's love affair with pizza. For more information about Riko's Pizza, including franchising, please visit www.RikosFranchise.com.

Contact:
Gaffney Bennett PR
[email protected]

SOURCE Riko’s Pizza