TGIF franchise head opts to step down
Friday's in Poland, after three years with the group. "I was hired to start this company up and get it to a certain point, and that is basically what I did," said the 42-year-old Haverlack, who earlier set up and ran the now-defunct Malibu Restaurant. Although Haverlack resigned as president, he will remain as a member of the board of American Bistro, which is 70% owned by Pioneer Investments Poland and 30% by Copernicus Capital Management. "He's a leader, a motivator and a very dynamic person," Copernicus Managing Director Neil Milne said.
Haverlack leaves the operation after T.G.I. Friday's finally nailed down a location for its Warsaw restaurant, for which the group had searched more than two years. The group opened a restaurant in central Warsaw, at the Atrium Plaza, last December. American Bistro now operates three T.G.I. Friday's in Poland - in Wroclaw, Warsaw and Gdansk.
Its first restaurant, in Wroclaw, opened in 1997. The group, which intends to have five restaurants open in Poland by 2001, has signed a letter of intent with a real estate firm for another T.G.I. Friday's in the Europlex building on ulica Pulawska. The building is currently under construction.
American Bistro announced Haverlack's departure in a press release last week, in which the former president said T.G.I. Friday's "had entered a new phase" in its development and required "a leader with experience in organizational management at the corporate level." Haverlack said he will spend two months actively assisting and consulting the company on the executive changeover and then work on developing restaurants in Western Europe.
The release, issued by Pioneer, also stated that American Bistro board member Bob Zia would take the company's reins in Poland. With American Bistro since 1996, Zia has worked in the restaurant industry for almost 15 years and was president of U.S. restaurant chain Ground Round, Milne said.
Haverlack leaves the operation after T.G.I. Friday's finally nailed down a location for its Warsaw restaurant, for which the group had searched more than two years. The group opened a restaurant in central Warsaw, at the Atrium Plaza, last December. American Bistro now operates three T.G.I. Friday's in Poland - in Wroclaw, Warsaw and Gdansk.
Its first restaurant, in Wroclaw, opened in 1997. The group, which intends to have five restaurants open in Poland by 2001, has signed a letter of intent with a real estate firm for another T.G.I. Friday's in the Europlex building on ulica Pulawska. The building is currently under construction.
American Bistro announced Haverlack's departure in a press release last week, in which the former president said T.G.I. Friday's "had entered a new phase" in its development and required "a leader with experience in organizational management at the corporate level." Haverlack said he will spend two months actively assisting and consulting the company on the executive changeover and then work on developing restaurants in Western Europe.
The release, issued by Pioneer, also stated that American Bistro board member Bob Zia would take the company's reins in Poland. With American Bistro since 1996, Zia has worked in the restaurant industry for almost 15 years and was president of U.S. restaurant chain Ground Round, Milne said.
