NEW YORK Patina Restaurant Group, the multiconcept restaurant and foodservice operator, has named Tim O’Shea to the post of chief operating officer.
Most recently, O’Shea was president and chief executive of Fresh Choice Restaurants in Newark, Calif., where he introduced programs that helped the 30-plus-unit buffet operator return to profitability. Prior to that he held executive posts at other foodservice companies, including W.R. Grace & Co., Culinary Brands Inc., and the hotel foodservice division of Saga Corp.
Patina’s chief executive Nick Valenti said O’Shea “has a depth of experience that will help us achieve our objectives and his commitment to quality is consistent with our mission.”
Patina was spun off last year from London-based contract firm Compass PLC as a successor to Restaurant Associates/Patina. It operates such New York restaurants as The Sea Grill, the Brasserie and the Metropolitan Opera House, while in Los Angeles in operates Patina Restaurant, Pinot Provence and Julia’s at COPIA.
In addition, a consortium consisting of Valenti, Splichal and Bunker Hill Capital L.P., agreed earlier this year to pay $11 per share, or approximately $90 million, for publicly held luxury steakhouse operator, the New York-based Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group Inc. The SWRG board is expected to meet later this month to vote on the acquisition.