Rich Pinnella was named CEO of Luna Grill earlier this month, promoted to the chief executive role of a Mediterranean fast casual that has been around since long before the category was the buzziest thing in foodservice.
Sean and Maria Pourteymour opened the first Luna Grill in San Diego in 2004 and started scaling it in 2010. Pinnella joined as chief brand officer in 2019, when Luna Grill had grown to about 50 locations, and he brought with him 20 years of experience in leadership roles at Taco Bell. Pinnella was a part of a refreshed leadership team that Sean Pourteymour calls “the Avengers” — a team designed to take Luna Grill to the next level, originally intended to start in 2020.
That, of course, was put on pause. But now Luna Grill is finally ready to step on the accelerator again, with eyes on expanding beyond its current California and Texas markets.
Pinnella and Luna Grill founder Sean Pourteymour joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about the steps that restaurant companies should take ahead of scaling and how they’ve built a culture designed to win.
In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why:
The team that builds a brand from scratch isn’t necessarily the same that can scale it
You should know when it’s time to hit the brakes
Growth can be aggressive and responsible at the same time
A great culture drives behaviors that win
Competitors in your category aren’t necessarily a bad thing
If you surround yourself with brilliant people, then brilliant things will happen
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].
Dining and Cooking