BurgerFi International announced Monday the retirement of company CEO Ian Baines, effective June 7. Baines has agreed to stay on as an outside consultant for the next 12 months following his resignation while the company begins the search for the next chief executive of BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings. In the interim, BurgerFi COO John Iannucci will lead the company until a new CEO is announced.
“On behalf of the board, we would like to thank Ian for his service to BurgerFi and for leading Anthony’s through its sale to BurgerFi,” Ophir Sternberg, executive chairman at BurgerFi said in a statement. “We wish Ian all the best in this new chapter of his life.”
Baines was the CEO of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings and led the company through its sale to BurgerFi in 2021. Following the sale, Baines was named CEO of the combined two companies, while former BurgerFi CEO Julio Ramirez exited the company at the end of 2021. Before leading Anthony’s and later BurgerFi, Baines served as CEO and president of Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen from 2014 to 2018, leading the company to its sale to Darden Restaurants. He has also held executive positions with Uno Restaurant Holdings, Darden, and Brinker during his several decades of restaurant leadership experience.
“It has been an honor to lead this company but the time is now ripe for me to retire,” Baines said in a statement. “I am proud of what our teams have accomplished in integrating Anthony’s into the BurgerFi system -- the company now has two high-quality brands with growth potential. I wish everyone at BurgerFi all the best.”
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