Panda Restaurant Group appoints new VP of Operations Support and Innovation
Behm to Lead Operations, Menu and Engineering Initiatives as Company Expands Nationwide
August 17, 2005
ROSEMEAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 2005--Panda Restaurant Group, the world's leader in Chinese quick-service restaurants with more than 700 Panda Express locations, announces the appointment of Larry Behm to the formative position of vice president of operations support and innovation. The company plans to expand from more than 700 restaurants to nearly 1,500 locations in the next three years as part of the growth vision of Founder and Chairman Andrew Cherng and his wife, Co-Chair and CEO Peggy Cherng, Ph.D. Behm's appointment supports the continued enhancement of operations, menu and engineering initiatives for new and existing restaurants throughout the chain. This position was recently created in support of the company's continued growth. Behm will develop and lead programs designed to enhance restaurant operations, particularly during peak sales hours, and collaborate with an experienced team to advance innovations in menu offerings and packaging. This is especially important as it relates to the "cut above" position Panda Express holds within the quick-service restaurant category. An expanded concentration on research and development will aim to advance both drive-thru features and the guest experience through critical evaluation of equipment and systems. Behm will lead teams of regional chefs, along with associates in operations support, quality assurance/quality control and product development, to accomplish these objectives. Quality assurance and food safety will be key areas of focus. "Panda's growth means increased needs in many areas: for high-quality, enthusiastic associates; the technology and systems for them to work effectively; and larger quantities of the products we use in every single restaurant," said Tom Davin, president and COO. "Larry is a thoughtful leader who gets results through exploration, team building and collaboration. I've known him for more than 25 years, and his unique combination of technical leadership and general management experience is exactly the right fit for Panda. There is an incredible amount of talent, expertise and creativity among our associates, and with Larry's leadership we can harness this energy for even greater results, from new menu entrees to innovation in the drive-thru." Prior to his appointment in April, Behm led the drive-thru improvement team at Panda Restaurant Group for six months as a consultant with Behm Systems LLC. He founded Behm Systems in 2001 to offer clients strategy implementation and improvement in operational excellence.Previously, he spent more than four years with Taco Bell as the vice president of restaurant systems engineering. Behm was the global leader for the development and implementation of the company's equipment, procedures, layout and systems. Before that, he was owner of Behm Technologies, where he served as a consultant on equipment development and created an oven improvement program for a national restaurant chain. In an earlier position as executive vice president/secretary/COO of TurboChef Inc., Behm led the company from start-up through IPO and created the market strategy for their high-speed oven, for which primary product rights were sold to Maytag. Prior to that, he was director of equipment and process engineering for Pizza Hut, and section head of product supply for Procter & Gamble. "The Asian restaurant category is seeing incredible growth and increasing popularity, and Panda Express is certainly at the forefront of that," Behm said. "I think the focus on associates is one of the things that sets Panda far above the crowd. Restaurant associates and general managers are at the top of the organization at Panda, and everyone at the Support Center strives to serve them the best way possible. It's a very positive people-centered environment, and it attracts quality people who give our guests great service. I spent four years as a U.S. Marine officer, and the basis of our structure was similar - to support our members who were on the front lines. It's a philosophy I'm excited to be a part of again." Contacts Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC for Panda Restaurant Group Julie Reed, 949-261-2216 julie@mmpr.biz 
