Ken Mucha

Ken Mucha is an accomplished Business Executive with more than 20 years of experience in driving profitable growth in the competitive restaurant market segment.  He is adept at establishing and revitalizing restaurant companies’ organizational structures, products and services, processes, and sales strategies to achieve optimum results. Mucha has exhibited a broad-spectrum of skills in directing the full range of restaurant operations.  He is adept at combining tactical implementation of strategic initiatives along with development of key partnerships to capture and enhance overall quality, productivity, and bottom-line performance.   

As a Turnaround CEO, his successes include a Chapter 11 Plan approval within one year of accepting the responsibility for an operating Chapter 11 restaurant company with concepts covering fast food (“QSR”); family (“Casual”), including sports grills and bars; and fine dining.  Mucha was appointed CEO of the Chapter 11 Debtor in Possession, Irvine, CA based Spectrum Restaurant Group, Inc. (“Spectrum”) by the vote of not only the Board of Directors, but also upon the recommendations of both the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and the company’s Secured Creditors.  While leading the development of the Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, he also was instrumental in improving the processes and operations, lowering overhead and improving cash flows allowing for the profitable sale of numerous distressed operating units. 

 Mucha’s, responsibilities as turnaround CEO of Spectrum also included creation, design and implementation of programs to streamline business operations, create new menus, conduct service training, further develop cost controls, and provide management at the unit level; as well as cultivate working relationships within the franchise community for Grandy’s and National Sports Grill, prior to the sale of those concepts.

 Previously, the Senior Vice President of Development and Facilities for Spectrum, Mucha was responsible for coordinating and managing Spectrum’s real estate, lease negotiations, plan development and permitting, construction and related furnishings, equipment procurement, as well as training for both company-owned and franchise units. He managed and facilitated franchise programs for National Sports Grill and Grandy’s; as well as having full responsibility for the approval process of the UFOC for National Sports Grill along with its marketing and franchise training. 

 As the Senior Vice President of Development and Facilities for Newport Beach, CA based American Restaurant Group, Inc., Mucha directed operations providing real estate, construction, lease negotiations, and facilities support for restaurant divisions encompassing 22 states and 242 corporate and franchise units. He was responsible for the due diligence in operations and site analysis in the acquisition of Del Taco.  Mucha successfully opened and launched 64 new restaurants including Black Angus, Del Taco, Spoons, National Sports Grill, Grandy’s, Tutto Mare, and Prego. 

 As the Vice President of Development and Facilities for Irvine, CA based Grace Restaurant Company, Mucha managed remodel, conversion, and new construction of Far West Services and Gilbert Robinson divisions.  This included evaluation of site and building during the due diligence for the acquisition of Seasons, Hungry Tiger, and Jojo’s concepts.  Mucha was involved with the conversion of 123 jojo’s and Seasons’ Restaurant to Coco’s within a 27-month period; he developed and managed the department that negotiated leases, designed, and constructed over 250 restaurants including nine different concepts.