Stoner’s Pizza Joint, owned by Charleston, S.C.-based HospitalityX, has tapped former Pieology Pizzeria pizzaiolo Glenn Cybulski as the brand’s new president and chief culinary officer.
“Cybulski will oversee Stoner's culinary operations, as well as leverage his decades of experience in recipe and product development, operational systems and menu design to spearhead the brand's nationwide expansion,” the company said.
HospitalityX, which operates a whiskey bar, a gourmet char burger brand and a taco and tequila concept, added Stoner’s Pizza Joint last year to its portfolio.
Since the acquisition, the company has spent several months getting the regional 11-unit chain in shape for growth.
The company plans to open 100 new locations by 2023 with much of the expansion in its core market, the Southeast region of the U.S.
Cybulski is a certified pizzaiolo who studied at Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Italy. He has owned and operated restaurants in Northern California. He most recently worked at Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.-based Pieology, one of the early players in the assembly-line build your own pizza space.
Pieology founder Carl Chang, who felt his brand was falling behind leaders MOD Pizza and Blaze Pizza, hired Cybulski more than a year ago to revamp the menu. He also headed a special R&D Pieology restaurant for testing new ideas. Pieology Pizzeria R&D closed last July. COO Clay Sanger and Cybulski also exited the company at that time.
Nick Bergelt, co-owner and chief concept officer of Stoner's Pizza Joint, said Cybulski’s experience will help the brand capitalize on its positioning within the pizza space.
In a previous interview with NRN, Bergelt said he wants to take advantage of the Stoner’s name by focusing on cannabis loving diners. The chain is looking at introducing CBD-infused sodas, as well as introducing a chile oil infused with CBD, Bergelt said.
“Glenn's broad experience in the kitchen and behind the scenes, as well as cooking with cannabis and CBD are invaluable to our future success,” Bergelt said in a statement. “As the general paradigm shifts across the U.S. around the acceptance of cannabis culture, we're excited to tap into Glenn's extensive expertise to propel our brand's footprint and impact across the country."
Stoner's Pizza has 11 locations in South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Florida. HospitalityX’s other brands include Charbar Co., Whiskey Room, ¡Holy Tequila! and the Healthy Habit.
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