Sbarro names RBI exec as North America president

Dive Brief:

Sbarro named Mario Bojorquez, an 11-year veteran at Restaurant Brands International, as its president of North America, the chain said in a press release Thursday.
Bojorquez most recently served as head of Asia-Pacific Operations at RBI for the past four years.
In his new role, Bojorquez will work with the senior team to support company restaurants and franchisees on expansion, operational execution and brand growth, according to a press release.

Dive Insight:

Sbarro has been rapidly expanding, opening over 200 restaurants in the past two years, including in new markets like Colombia, Panama, Poland, Denmark and North Macedonia. In 2023, it surpassed 700 stores.

The chain, which has historically operated in malls and airports, has been growing in other spaces like convenience stores, travel centers, universities, military bases, hospitals and casinos. In 2022, it made a huge push into c-stores through partnerships with ARKO Group’s GPM Investments, EuroGarages, EG America and Travel Centers of America. The company is on pace to open over 100 net new restaurants this year.

Bojorquez will help continue this store development momentum. As head of Asia-Pacific Operations at RBI, he helped the company through the pandemic, built infrastructure to support expansion in new and existing markets and oversaw improvements to operations that bolstered the guest experience and improved franchisee profitability.

He also served as head of marketing for Burger King Europe, Middle East and Africa. In the U.S., he served as general manager of the Midwest Division where he oversaw 1,500 Burger King restaurants. He started his career co-founding a sandwich shop in Miami in 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“Mario is a talented restaurant executive with a proven track record of results and a solid understanding of franchising in our industry,” said David Karam, Sbarro CEO and chairman of the board. “He is a great cultural fit for Sbarro. His strong people focus and industry expertise will complement the experience and skills of our leadership team as we continue to grow and strengthen our brand.”