GRILLiT, Inc. has announced that Mr. Ghazi Hajj was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer, and elected as the Chairman of its Board of Directors.
Mr. Hajj is a highly successful and experienced restaurateur who is well respected in the fast-casual dining sector. He has over 24 years of collective experience in leading well-known chain restaurants to high growth and profitability.
Mr. Hajj stated, “I thank the Board of GRILLiT for electing me to this position. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, I pledge that I will do my utmost to bring the GRILLiT concept to as large of a market as possible, while being prudent and maintaining our core values. This has been a dream of mine for many years – to put together a health-conscious fast-casual restaurant chain, building one piece at a time, based on all that I have learned over the past couple of decades.”
Ghazi Hajj is recognized as a leader in the fast casual and quick service restaurant and franchising industry, well known for his expertise in many areas and impressive track record of delivering success and profitability to all organizations with whom he has been affiliated. His expertise and insight comes from years of having owned and operated many restaurants himself in multiple markets. Since December 2010, he has been Head of Operations, Design & Distributions for Salad Creations Corporate.
Previously, he served as Executive Vice President of Operations with Cerney Investment/Quiznos Corp from 2009 to 2010. From 2001 to 2008 he was Regional Operations Director and Vice President of Franchise Support for Quiznos Corporation, and spent almost 2 years prior to Quiznos as a Vice President and consultant for Chicken Kitchen USA. From 1984 to 1998 Mr. Hajj owned and operated 36 Little Caesars stores in southeastern Ohio and South Florida, and served as its Vice President of Midwest and Southeast Regions From 1989 To 1994, and V.P of National Operations from 1994 to 1996.
Mr. Hajj was instrumental in the conceptualization and startup operations for the Company’s two pilot store locations in South Florida.
“I am excited about the initial success of our first two stores,” said Mr. Hajj. “From my experience, it’s a good sign for us, so I am encouraged and feel extremely fortunate to be a part of, hopefully, something big.”
The Company’s former CEO, Raymond Dias, shall remain a director and transition into his new role as Chief Operating Officer, where he will oversee investor relations and all corporate operations.
GRILLiT (OTC: GRLT) is a growing restaurant concept that marries fast casual to nutritious and healthy food. The company opened its first location in Miami in 2011 and specializes in chef-inspired custom crafted rice bowls, pasta and wraps as well as salads. GRILLiT utilizes domestic farmers, and delivers healthy cuisine using only fresh proteins, such as never-frozen chicken and grass fed beef. The restaurants offer an inviting and comfortable atmosphere with an open kitchen and contemporary, industrial design. GRILLiT currently has two locations and expects to have at least 21 corporate and 58 franchised locations open and operating within the next five years. The company is targeting Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia for new growth. For more information, visit http://www.grillitinc.com.