Uncle Julio’s Restaurant Group Pronounces New CEO, COO » Dallas Innovates

by razezibaie · 18 November 2023

Irving-based Uncle Julio’s Restaurant Group has named Scott Lawson as CEO and RJ Thomas as president and chief working officer to speed up the corporate’s development.

“Uncle Julio’s dedication to genuine, one-of-kind eating experiences has created an extremely loyal following and I’m honored to imagine the position of CEO,” Lawton mentioned in a press release. “The corporate’s legacy and tradition constructed round consideration to element in each a part of the eating expertise will proceed to function the inspiration for Uncle Julio’s throughout this subsequent section of development. Bringing a deep dedication to model constructing and innovation, I’m excited to leverage my expertise at bartaco to create a very memorable expertise for each visitor who walks into our eating places. In partnership with RJ and your entire workforce, I look ahead to main Uncle Julio’s on this subsequent chapter.”

Lawson, an skilled restaurant exec with greater than 20 years in management and operations, co-founded Port Chester, New York-based bartaco, an upscale road meals restaurant with 29 places, in 2011. Subsequent, he served as president and chief working officer of Barteca —the Connecticut-based guardian firm of bartaco— till its sale to Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group in 2018. Then he rejoined bartaco as CEO after the corporate was acquired by L Catterton, the place he’ll proceed his duties, together with main Uncle Julio’s.

L Catterton, a non-public fairness agency in Greenwich, Conn. targeted on shopper manufacturers in quite a few market segments, acquired Uncle Julio’s in 2017.

‘A brand new and thrilling chapter’

Thomas has greater than 20 years of restaurant business management experience, most not too long ago serving as president and COO of King’s Seafood Firm the place he led operations for all 24 places. There, he applied a number of new restaurant ideas and reconceptualized the corporate’s Water Grill model, which opened six new places and generated income of $100M.

Thomas mentioned, “I’ve lengthy admired Uncle Julio’s for its distinctive tackle Mexican eating — making genuine recipes from scratch utilizing the freshest elements in a welcoming ambiance. I’m proud to affix Scott and the extremely proficient Uncle Julio’s workforce to assist information the corporate to continued success by combining nice meals and nice service to drive nice experiences.”

Andrew C. Tauba Managing Accomplice in L Catterton’s Buyout Fund, mentioned that Lawton and Thomas are “confirmed leaders with the imaginative and prescient and operational capabilities essential to develop and run best-in-class eating places.”

He mentioned that Lawton’s success with elevating the client expertise at bartaco and Thomas’s observe report of introducing new ideas and improvements to assist restaurant model development will “create a brand new and thrilling chapter in Uncle Julio’s story.”

Based in 1986, Uncle Julio’s serves scratch-made Mexican delicacies at greater than 30 places in 11 states.

R E A D N E X T

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