CYPRESS Calif. Real Mex Restaurants Inc. has named Lowell Petrie senior vice president/chief marketing officer, effective July 20, officials announced Wednesday.
Petrie has served for the past year as head of marketing at the Daphne’s Greek Café chain, and prior to that oversaw marketing for Mimi’s Café, Ruby’s Diner, Famous Restaurants and Denny’s. Early in his career, Petrie worked at El Torito Restaurants, at one point leading the marketing division there. El Torito is now among the Real Mex brands Petrie will be working with again.
Petrie will report to Richard “Dick” Rivera, who was named Real Mex president and chief executive in April. Last November, the company’s former primary owner, Sun Capital Partners Inc., relinquished control of Real Mex to private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., along with hedge funds Farallon Capital Management and Canyon Capital Advisors, in a debt swap for equity.
Based in Cypress, Calif., Real Mex operates 189 restaurants under the El Torito, Chevys Fresh Mex, Acapulco, El Torito Grill, and Sinigual brand names, as well as one-off restaurants Las Brisas in Laguna Beach, Calif., and regional concepts Who-Song and Larry’s, Casa Gallardo and El Paso Cantina.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]
