Fiesta Restaurant Group doubles down on off-premise dining

Fiesta Restaurant Group has named Willie Romeo its first corporate director of off-premise consumption as part of its effort to double off-premise business during the next decade, the company announced Tuesday.

Romeo—who most recently served as the director of franchise operations for Fiesta Restaurant Group’s Pollo Tropical brand—will focus on all aspects of the company’s off-premise business, including to-go, online and mobile app ordering, drive-thru and catering, the company said.

Prior to joining Fiesta Restaurant Group, Romeo held franchise and operations roles at Dunkin’ Brands and Burger King.

“We have an aggressive goal to double our off-premise business, and (Romeo) has a disciplined approach and can work across functions within our organization to lead us in achieving it,” Fiesta Restaurant Group CEO Tim Taft said.

Last month, Fiesta Restaurant Group reported second-quarter profit growth of 20.8 percent (year over year), with comp sales rising more than 4 percent at both of its fast-casual brands. 

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