Fiesta Restaurant Group COO Jim Tunnessen Retires; COO of Taco Cabana Mike Biviano Retires

Fiesta Restaurant Group

, the owner, operator, and franchisor of the Pollo Tropical® and Taco Cabana® fast-casual restaurant brands, today announced the upcoming retirements of Jim Tunnessen, Executive Vice President – Chief Operating Officer of Pollo Tropical, and Mike Biviano, Executive Vice President – Chief Operating Officer of Taco Cabana, effective as of January 31, 2013. Tunnessen will be succeeded by Danny Meisenheimer at Pollo Tropical and Biviano will be succeeded by Todd Coerver at Taco Cabana. “Both Danny and Todd currently hold the position of Chief Brand Officer for their respective brands,” said Tim Taft, Chief Executive Officer of Fiesta. “Danny and Todd have partnered with Mike and Jim and their elevation to COO will ensure a seamless transition. With change comes opportunity and going forward, Danny and Todd will be supported by tenured operating professionals. Vicky Timmer will be promoted to the role of Vice President of Operations at Pollo Tropical, and Mark Phillips will assume the role of Vice President of Operations at Taco Cabana. These promotions will create avenues for advancement for the next generation of operations leadership as we put ourselves in position for future growth.” Taft added, “I've had the good fortune to work with both Danny and Todd over the last twenty years. I have the utmost confidence in their leadership abilities as well as their skill in culture and brand building. These teams are excited to enter into the next phase of our evolution. New leadership means fresh perspectives on our business, and we will leverage our current successes while we tackle the opportunities of tomorrow. Both brands are grateful for the legacy established by Jim and Mike, they have been great stewards of our companies and instrumental in getting us to the position we enjoy today.”