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Taco Cabana, Pollo Tropical VP named to support new restaurant development

April 17, 2013

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. has hired Ed Carnevale as vice president of Construction Services to support growth of its Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical brands.

Carnevale, who has 24 years of experience in the industry, will report to Chief Development Officer John Todd and oversee the full integration of construction processes and systems for both Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical, including standardized reporting and execution across both brands.

"This is a significant hire for Fiesta Restaurant Group as we ramp up our development and execute our strategic growth plan," said Tim Taft, CEO of Fiesta Restaurant Group. "Acceleration of growth is more than a 'want to' proposition and requires effective people, processes and systems. Ed is the perfect fit for a company such as ours that is positioning itself for accelerated growth."

Prior to joining Fiesta Restaurant Group, Carnevale served in a number of management positions, most recently as the senior director of Construction for 7-Eleven where he managed new store growth, remodel programs and energy initiatives. At 7-Eleven, Carnevale managed the development of more than 300 new stores, 800 remodels and 400 acquisition conversion remodels per year.

Carnevale also developed the first LEED certified 7-Eleven in Florida. CSP Magazine recently recognized Carnevale for excellence in environmental stewardship.

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