Fiesta Restaurant Group names new CFO

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI) expects to complete its senior management team this month with the addition of a new vice president and CFO.

Lynn Schweinfurth will move into the positions July 16 at Fiesta, a restaurant owner, operator, and franchisor that was spun off from Syracuse–based Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TAST) in May. Schweinfurth has been vice president of finance and treasurer at Jacksonville, Fla.–based Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. since 2010.

Previously, she headed the finance function at Lone Star Steakhouse, Texas Land & Cattle, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and the international division of Brinker International, Inc. She also spent nine years at PepsiCo, Inc. and Yum! Brands, Inc.

“Lynn is an extraordinary talent who has broad-based financial leadership experience with major restaurant and retail brands, including global, franchise, and company-owned restaurant portfolio companies,” Fiesta President and CEO Tim Taft said in a news release. “In addition to her technical and leadership skills, we believe she will be a great cultural fit for Fiesta.”

Fiesta owns, operates, and franchises the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana restaurant brands. It had 247 company-owned and operated restaurants and 40 franchised restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela as of June 29.

The group’s executive offices are at 968 James St. in Syracuse. Its Pollo Tropical division is headquartered in Miami and its Taco Cabana division is headquartered in San Antonio.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com