BEST AMERICAN HOSPITALITY - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Legal Counsel
• Member of the Exceptional Restaurants Demand Exceptional Leadership Team

Bill has experience in the practice of various aspects of the law including real estate transactions, real estate litigation, tort litigation and trial litigation. During the last ten years, he has represented nationally known corporate clients in general corporate and legal needs throughout the continental United States with respect to general operations, including restaurant/office/retail property leasing and acquisition. In addition to practicing law, Bill also built out, owned and operated two fast-casual restaurants, which allows him to bring a unique understanding of the different aspects of a restaurant business to his work. Bill received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and his law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. Bill is licensed to practice law in Georgia, Kentucky and Florida.

Job Titles:

• Executive Vice President
• General Counsel
• Member of the Exceptional Restaurants Demand Exceptional Leadership Team

Catherine's been lead legal counsel in the process of bringing to life CEO David Davoudpour's 2007 promise to bring the Shoney's brand back to its glory days, keeping the brand's hometown feel while bringing it into the digital and global age. Her activities include franchise law, commercial contracts, M&A, commercial real estate, employment law, compliance, intellectual property, marketing, e-commerce, risk management, insurance, and business operations. She is licensed to practice in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. Catherine received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Miami School of Law.

Job Titles:

• Director of Purchasing

Cindy Monzo came to Shoney's after 18 years in purchasing with Ruby Tuesday. For 2 years, she was President of East Tennessee's Institute of Supply Management leading 82 government contractors in Oak Ridge through contracting practices. Cindy has been on the advisory board of the Boston Seafood show and a member and board member of the Produce Management Association. While earning her BS in Food, Technology, and Science from the University of Tennessee, Cindy earned several patents on food-service items. Cindy's son, Andrew, lives in Maryville. In her spare time, she loves working on home improvement projects.

Job Titles:

• Vice President Operations

David Conner is a multi-unit operator with 34 years of experience in the restaurant industry, experienced in both franchise and corporate operations. David has been passionate about restaurant operations since high school. Whether it was chicken, pizza, doughnuts or breakfast, maintaining a level of excellent operations was and is always first in his mind. His goal is always the same: To help every restaurant be the place HIS family would like to visit and enjoy, with great food and great Southern hospitality. David brings leadership, focus, and character to work every day. David graduated from Middle Tennessee State University and resides with his family in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Job Titles:

• Chairman
• Chief Executive Officer
• Member of the Exceptional Restaurants Demand Exceptional Leadership Team
• Shoney 's Chairman and CEO

David Davoudpour is widely known as a visionary and a maverick in the business world as well as a true entrepreneur. Mr. Davoudpour has extensive experience in financial and real estate markets. This expertise has led to a series of exceptional business ventures, across various industries. Mr. Davoudpour's deep passion for food led him to creating and operating a number of successful restaurant concepts throughout the US. His achievements have been recognized by numerous industry awards. His expertise in the food service and hospitality industry, combined with his experience in the roles of both franchisee and franchisor, provide him with a comprehensive understanding of the special connection between franchisee and franchisor and a respect for each role in a franchise system. Mr. Davoudpour had long admired the Shoney's brand prior to acquiring it and remains committed and excited to lead its resurgence as one of America's true iconic restaurant concepts. His mission is guided by three principles: innovation, simplicity and community involvement. He is extremely proud to actively contribute to the improvement of the communities where he does business. Mr. Davoudpour serves as a Board member for several nonprofit organizations focused on education and community revitalization. Shoney's Chairman and CEO David Davoudpour announced on July 17 that Shoney's will phase out plastic straws in all of its company-owned stores by 2020. "America has spoken and Shoney's always listens and for the sake of the environment and our communities, we are taking action," said Mr. Davoudpour. "We are in the people business and have spent decades doing the right things in our neighborhoods as well as our restaurants and are committed to being at the forefront of this change."

Job Titles:

• Executive Chef

"The changes Shoney's has made to the food using fresh ingredients and offering innovative menu items as well as the beautifully redesigned restaurants with modern furnishing is truly amazing," said Christa Rechsteiner. "Shoney's is such a wonderful brand with a rich history that is just getting better. We feel truly blessed to open a Shoney's where we live and our kids go to school." The 6,000 square foot Shoney's will feature some of new brand standards including a full service granite bar with stacked stone, a private dining area for larger parties, large TV's, fresh squeezed OJ, salad and hot food buffet and a variety of freshly prepared options from the menu. The private dining area will include an array of wrestling memorabilia. According to Harof, Shoney's has been a household name for decades to many people and the brand is excited to reach new guests in new neighborhoods. "Now, we're introducing Shoney's to a new generation in new markets throughout the world by expanding via franchising with redesigned restaurants and a renewed dedication to fresh quality food, friendly service at a great value." said Harof.

Job Titles:

• Chief Marketing Officer
• Member of the Exceptional Restaurants Demand Exceptional Leadership Team

Gill is a proven business and marketing leader. He has helped blue-chip global, national, and regional companies grow their brands and business by creating creative, compelling, and effective marketing and advertising programs. He has helped build some of the most famous brands in the world from FedEx and AT&T to Budweiser and Kraft Foods. Gill has led teams that created successful and highly awarded marketing programs that delivered a positive impact on growth and brand building. His retail experience involved franchisees, as did his extensive experience in the beer industry working with wholesalers/distributors. As CEO of two major advertising agencies, he helped both grow their topline revenue and creative reputation while widening their experience base beyond traditional advertising into new, integrated marketing channels.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Exceptional Restaurants Demand Exceptional Leadership Team
• President

Kamran Habeeb began his food service career over 31 years ago as a management trainee with Church's Chicken. In 1999, he became President of a Church's Chicken franchise operating 111 restaurants in Arizona, Northern and Southern California and Texas. Kamran brings to Shoney's a strong foundation for managing the people, processes and companies within a franchise system.

Job Titles:

• Chief Operating Officer

Nick Raucci has over 25 years of experience in restaurant operations specializing in growth restaurant companies. Most recently he served as the Chief Operating Officer of BurgerFi International and was instrumental in taking BurgerFi public, through a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) in December, 2020. Nick served as General Manager and Regional Director of Operations for Ted's Montana Grill, the casual dining restaurant brand founded by media mogul Ted Turner and restaurateur George McKerrow Jr. as a for-profit effort to stop the extinction of the American Bison. He was also a part of Five Guys Burgers and Fries where he was a multi-unit operations leader and Regional Vice President. In those roles, he helped drive Five Guys' national expansion on both the franchise and corporate sides of the business as well as its growth to over a billion dollars in revenue. Mr. Raucci is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, the largest food service and culinary arts educator in the world.

Job Titles:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Member of the Exceptional Restaurants Demand Exceptional Leadership Team

Steve Neuroth brings over a decade of experience serving in financial leadership roles within the restaurant industry. He spent the first part of his career working in investment management where his experience included mergers and acquisitions within the restaurant industry. Steve earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Job Titles:

• Director of Franchise Development

"Timing is everything and we've been very strategic and calculated about bringing America's Dinner Table back to its ‘Glory Days' and the time is now," said David Davoudpour, Shoney's Chairman and CEO. "The brand achieved its place as an American icon with fresh quality food at a great value and we cannot wait to show it off to a new generation." Since acquiring the great American eatery in 2007, Davoudpour has been on a driven and spirited mission to reinvigorate and revitalize Shoney's, a family-friendly, southern-style restaurant brand. Shoney's was one of the first family casual dining concepts in the United States. "When I bought the brand, I declared that we would bring Shoney's back to the forefront by proudly serving delicious, fresh-never frozen food that is highly craveable. In addition, we rely on our company's three pillars: innovation, simplicity and giving back to our local communities," said Davoudpour. "Shoney's is now ready to grow the brand by teaming up with franchise partners who share our commitment to this great brand." The most recent franchisee to come on board is the world famous wrestler and former WCW Heavyweight Champion "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner (Scott Rechsteiner) with his wife Christa, who are building a brand new Shoney's in Acworth, Georgia, which is scheduled to open in early March.