Andy Hooper is out as the president of &pizza.
Hooper had been in charge of the Washington D.C.-based pizza chain’s day-to-day operations since July 2019.
He announced the move earlier this month on LinkedIn, a shift that was confirmed via email from &pizza CEO and co-founder Michael Lastoria.
The day-to-day operations of the fast-casual, which has about 60 locations, will now be run by two people: COO Bridget Siegel and Chief Business Officer Katie Bach, Lastoria said.
“We recently went through a re-org that better aligns our org structure/leadership with our strategy and growth plans, which remain unchanged,” Lastoria said.
No further details were given on Hooper’s departure.
On Hooper’s LinkedIn post, Lastoria commented, “It was one hell of a run through some of our most formative years.”
Before becoming president, Hooper served as &pizza’s chief people officer for 18 months. He previously held executive posts with Café Rio Mexican Grill and Burger King.
Lastoria founded &pizza with Steve Salis in 2012. Since then, the brand has become known for its progressive politics and tech-enabled operations. Salis left &pizza in 2015, formed Salis Holdings, and went on to acquire several other brands, including Ted’s Bulletin. Last year, he formed Sizzle, a special purpose acquisition company.
Late last year, Lastoria said the chain had received “multiple rounds” of funding since the beginning of the pandemic, though he declined to provide any details on those investments.
He said the company intends to add 40 new locations by the end of 2022.
Siegel has been with &pizza for four years, starting with the chain as head of culinary.
Lastoria said she “has both excellent operational chops and a specific background in culinary.
“Bridget has single-handedly driven our operational success over the last couple years,” he said.
Bach joined &pizza late last year, after leading the global strategy team at Starbucks and serving as managing director of the worker-focused Good Jobs Institute.
Lastoria called out Bach’s expertise in “creating good frontline jobs—specifically, building high-pay, high-productivity operating systems.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.