Focus Brands names new chief executive

Russ Umphenour, founder of what became the largest Arby’s franchisee group, was named Monday as the new president and CEO of Focus Brands.

Atlanta-based Focus is the parent company of Carvel, Cinnabon, Schlotzky’s and Moe’s Southwest Grill. It also is the franchisor of Seattle’s Best Coffee on certain military bases and in some international markets.

Steve Romaniello, who had been the Focus CEO, has been named chairman of the board. Romaniello, 42, also joins Roark Capital Group as a managing director and member of the investment committee. Roark is an Atlanta private equity firm that’s majority owner of Focus Brands.

Umphenour, 64, has spent more than 40 years in the restaurant business. He started working part-time at an Arby’s in Flint, Mich., in 1967 to supplement his income as a school teacher.

He built Atlanta-based RTM Restaurant Group into the largest Arby’s franchisee. RTM had 775 Arby’s restaurants when it was sold in 2005 to Triarc, the former parent company of Arby’s. Triarc merged this year with Wendy’s to create the Wendy’s/Arby’s Group.

Focus Brands has an impressive set of franchised concepts with growth potential, Umphenour said. The company’s brands combined represent 2,200 ice cream stores, bakeries, restaurants and cafes.

“One of the things I love about this is that it’s not broken,” Umphenour said. “It’s not a turnaround. … It’s an opportunity for me to step into and layer on my experience and thoughts.”

Focus was pleased to land Umphenour for the job, Romaniello said. After an initial breakfast meeting six months ago, it became apparent that Umphenour was the right fit for Focus, he said.

“We were looking for somebody who had the requisite business and restaurant experience but also had the same commitment to leadership, the same commitment to people … the heart and soul, so to speak,” Romaniello said.