FAT Brands Names Toni M. Bianco as Fatburger President and COO

FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Fatburger, announced the hiring of Toni M. Bianco as President and Chief Operating Officer of Fatburger. As the newest addition to the Fatburger executive team, Toni will work side-by-side with longstanding Chief Executive Officer Andy Wiederhorn to further expand Fatburger's presence worldwide. In addition, after 15 years of outstanding service, former Fatburger President and Chief Operating Officer Don Berchtold will be transitioning to a new role as Executive Vice President and Chief Concept Officer for FAT Brands, where he will assist in the development of innovative new concept designs across FAT Brands’ portfolio.

“I've always been drawn to brands like Fatburger that offer a vivid history and culture, yet continue to push themselves toward a promising and exciting future,” Bianco said. “It's beyond exciting to think about the possibilities with this brand.”

Bianco brings more than 15 years of experience in the franchise management space to the company. Prior to joining Fatburger, Bianco oversaw significant international expansion deals for Papa John's, where he drove more than 30 new openings, primarily in Asia. Most recently, he managed global operations, training, development and IT for the growing Long John Silver's brand. His actions led to the highest customer satisfaction in years and 16 consecutive periods of same-store sales growth.

Andy Wiederhorn, Chief Executive Officer of Fatburger and FAT Brands Inc., commented, “Toni brings extensive experience and insight that will be integral to the continued growth of the brand. We are grateful for all that Don has accomplished for us at Fatburger, and look forward to what he can do across all concepts under the FAT umbrella. As Fatburger enters the ring with our larger competitors, I'm confident Toni will be an indispensable asset to the corporate and franchisee team.”