In March, Atlanta's homegrown Fifth Group Restaurants announced plans that include expanding two long-running concepts — the Southern-inspired South City Kitchen and the Italian-inspired La Tavola Trattoria — over the next five years.
The five-year push will begin with the debut of the third South City Kitchen location in Buckhead in spring 2016. La Tavola will be included in the second phase of the plan, with new locations targeted for more metro-Atlanta neighborhoods.
Now, Fifth Group, which also is behind Ecco, The Original El Taco, Alma Cocina and Lure, as well as catering and design company Bold American Events, has announced the addition of two senior level team members, as well as promotions within the leadership team, to help implement the plan.
“As we look ahead to the next five years, strengthening our leadership team is vital to the successful execution of our growth plan,” Fifth Group partner Robby Kukler said in a release today. “We are excited to welcome new teammates while supporting the professional development of our existing leadership.”
Here are more details from the release:
Lissa Bowen joins the Fifth Group team as the director of recruiting and talentmmanagement, bringing with her more than 20 years of hospitality industry experience including tenure at FOCUS Brands, National Restaurant Association and CentraArchy Restaurant Management. In her new role, Bowen will will be responsible for leading and coordinating recruiting and hiring programs on a corporate level as well as within each restaurant and Bold American Events.
Dionne Olmstead has been promoted to director of IT after developing the department for the company over the past decade. In her new role, Dionne manages all company networks, restaurant POS networks and workstation support and oversees future planning needs.
Current director of beverage services Vajra Stratigos and director of operations Stuart Fierman have been named operating partners. In his new role as director of food and beverage standards, Stratigos will continue driving the award-winning beverage programs in addition to collaborating with the company’s chefs on menus and special events and overseeing new concept development. As director of restaurants, Fierman will oversee the day-to-day operations, financial performance and guests services at all restaurants.
Mike Pankow will serve as the director of facilities, coming to Fifth Group from Atlanta-based real estate investment firm Jamestown. Panko will be responsible for new and existing building construction, maintenance and equipment purchasing for all Fifth Group properties and overseeing new concept development..
About the Author
