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Wayne Jones visited 38 Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza locations before signing on as chief executive in 2017, succeeding founder Anthony Bruno. Each stop tugged at his roots. Jones grew up in California, with little money, and got into restaurants so he could eat. And there was a local pizza place where the owner would put pies in the oven and take them out a little burnt. Well charred, you could say. It was the foldable, thin, but not soggy pizza purists search for. “When I took the first bite at Anthony’s, I was transported back like 50 years,” he says. “It was a visceral experience for me.” That kind of testimonial isn’t uncommon among guests, Jones says. It’s why the brand garnered local renown 30-plus years ago when Anthony’s Runway 84 debuted not far from the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport.

In 2002, Bruno, who took over from his father, introduced the first Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza as a more casual, accessible version of the original upscale, classic Italian spot. Anthony’s has since scaled to 67 company-owned restaurants across Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. In late 2015, private-equity giant L Catterton, the same firm with investments in Noodles & Company, Uncle Julio’s, Hopdoddy, Chopt, and soon Del Frisco’s following its $650 million deal, scooped up Anthony’s, setting the stage for what it now calls a “new phase of guided growth.” Anthony’s dartboard objective is to hit 100 locations by 2024 or so. It plans to open three, five, and seven restaurants, respectively, in the coming years before reassessing. Jones says Anthony’s can scale in a controlled manner within its current footprint “without going crazy,” and remain on an upward climb. The brand expects to add a 10th market—the Virginia-D.C. area—but otherwise sees ample room to cluster in DMAs where it already appreciates brand awareness. Florida, as many restaurateurs can attest, is like an entire country in itself when it comes to testing varied demographics. Twenty-seven of Anthony’s units are located in the Sunshine State, with more to come. And the company will refine its strategy through an executive team that feels like it belongs to a 2,000-unit chain. The same qualities that inspire loyal customers attracted Anthony’s C-suite, Jones says. He arrived after three years as president and chief operating officer of PF Chang’s. Before, Jones spent six years at BJ’s Restaurants and two decades with The Cheesecake Factory. In June, the company announced four new appointments. John Reale, who worked four years apiece as COO at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and FOCUS Brands, took over the same duties with Anthony’s. Katie Knight, the former CMO of Carrabba’s Italian Grill, grabbed the marketing reins. Late last year, Anthony’s also hired Dean Courtelis as chief culinary officer. Courtelis was a Cheesecake Factory vet, too, having clocked 12 years at the polished-casual empire, managing operations for eight restaurants. He then spent two years at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, where he designed, opened, and oversaw the company’s first FDA-certified food manufacturing facility. Lastly, Anthony’s added Claudia Schaefer to its board of directors. Schaefer served as CMO of Jamba and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, and also worked for Chili’s. The hires joined chief people officer Michele Zavolta, who hailed from Logan’s Roadhouse and Ted’s Montana Grill, and CFO Rebekah Cooksey, a former DentalOnePartners and Michaels leader. Jones says it’s not surprising to see top-tier executives lining up to join Anthony’s. They’ve tried the pizza, too. “I think that really speaks to the quality of Anthony’s as a brand,” he says. “You can look at the loyalty from guests and it makes all the sense in the world.”

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