Mike Hislop, Chief Executive Officer
Mike Hislop joined Corner Bakery Cafe as the chief executive officer in February 2006. Armed with an experienced management team and a growth strategy unparalleled within the industry, Hislop has since transformed the brand from a company-owned and operated neighborhood gathering spot to a franchised industry leader that holds the highest average annual sales volume of any national bakery-cafe brand.
Hislop laid the foundation for his Corner Bakery Cafe charge when he was named president and chief operating officer of Il Fornaio in 1995 and was promoted to chief executive officer and chairman in 2001. Since Hislop joined Il Fornaio, the company has more than doubled in size with 23 restaurants and three production bakeries throughout the United States.
Prior to Il Fornaio and Corner Bakery Cafe, Hislop was chairman and chief executive officer for Chevys Mexican Restaurants, where he built the company’s infrastructure in preparation for taking it public, nearly doubling the number of locations nationwide in less than three years. Earlier positions include regional operator, executive vice president of operations and chief operating officer at El Torito Mexican Restaurants and regional manager at T.G.I. Friday’s.
Hislop is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and holds a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: My favorite item is the first thing I ever tried at Corner Bakery Cafe – the D.C. Chicken Salad Sandwich. I love the mixture of roasted chicken, green apples, celery and almonds on one of my favorite breads – Steakhouse Rye.
Jim Vinz, President and Chief Operating Officer
As president of Corner Bakery Cafe, Jim Vinz has taken an active role in growing the brand from five restaurants in Chicago to a nationally recognized bakery-cafe leader for more than a decade. After joining the company as the first multi-unit director in 1995, Vinz focused his dedication and drive on fine-tuning the business model while taking on increasingly larger roles within the organization.
Named vice president of operations in 1998, after leading the charge to develop Corner Bakery Cafe's now acclaimed catering strategy and helping to grow the brand to nearly 100 locations, Vinz was appointed chief operating officer in 2005 and shortly thereafter, in August 2006, was named president.
As head “Breadhead,” Vinz is responsible for making decisions that affect more than 3,500 people, ranging from line cooks to corporate executives. With a resume that boasts more than 25 years in the food service industry, Vinz uses his industry expertise to guard the integrity of the Corner Bakery Cafe brand. His mantra: “If you’re not better today than you were a year ago, then you’re worse” is repeated company-wide. It’s an adage he expects both the people and the brand to adhere to – and to date, he’s done his part to implement it.
Vinz holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University and currently lives in Grapevine, Texas, with his wife, Lori, and two kids.
FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: Chicken Pomodori Panini. It’s a hot sandwich with a crisp crust, gooey cheese and great flavors, and you can’t get another one like it anywhere else!
Denise Clemens, Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Seek out most vice presidents of award-winning, multi-million dollar companies and you’ll find them behind closed doors, locked in meetings or glued to their computer screens. Look for Denise Clemens, senior vice president of human resources at Corner Bakery Cafe, and you’ll often find her onsite chatting with one of the company’s more than 3,500 team members. For Clemens, Corner Bakery Cafe is all about one thing: family.
Clemens joined Corner Bakery Cafe as recruiting manager in 1994 after holding the position of director of operations for Darden Restaurants’ Red Lobster and China Coast. The executive team quickly grew to appreciate Clemens’ personal touch and granted her a larger role in setting the corporate culture for a growing brand. In 1998 she was appointed director, and in 2004 was welcomed onto the executive team as vice president of human resources.
Her perseverance to remain a constant source of support as Corner Bakery experienced national growth has helped Clemens build an environment that fosters loyal and passionate employees; an environment that has been recognized not only internally, but externally as well. Under Clemens’ leadership, Corner Bakery Cafe is a three-time recipient of People Report’s “Best People Practices Award,” which recognizes superior efforts and results in such key areas as employee retention and diversity among top industry performers.
FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: Baby Bundt Cakes. They’re moist, delicious and come in three tantalizing flavors. What’s not to like?
Diana Hovey, Senior Vice President of Marketing
Good things happen over a cup of coffee. For Diana Hovey, senior vice president of marketing at Corner Bakery Cafe, a cup of coffee led to an opportunity to join a team where great things were brewing.
Hovey began her career as the public relations manager for T.G.I. Friday’s, developing the P.R. and marketing strategies for the young company that at that time operated only 35 units. By 1993, Hovey was the director of marketing and saw the company grow to more than 400 restaurants worldwide. In 1996, she was recruited by Brinker International to help develop and hone its Mexican concepts division as vice president of marketing, the same role she would step into for Romano’s Macaroni Grill a year later. In 2003, Hovey founded her own marketing and brand development company, Hovey & Associates.
In 2006, over a cup of coffee, Jim Vinz, president of Corner Bakery Cafe, extended Hovey an invitation to join his executive team. Impressed by the strength of the brand and the tremendous loyalty of its guests, Hovey accepted the opportunity to take an active role in shaping what she describes as “the ultimate neighborhood gathering spot.” A self-proclaimed representative of the consumer voice, Hovey is charged with the strategic brand positioning and evolution of Corner Bakery Cafe, as well as consumer research, agency selection and management, overall creative direction and menu optimization.
A former co-chair and current board member of Marketing Executives’ Group, Hovey and her husband reside in Dallas, Texas, and have two children.
FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: The California Grille. It has such a unique flavor profile – artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, spinach … it’s like taking a bite out of a fresh garden.
P.J. Evans, Vice President of Franchise Development
As vice president of franchise development, P.J. Evans joined the Corner Bakery Cafe team in early 2006 to help develop a comprehensive franchise strategy, create a detailed franchise program and identify potential growth partners – in short, to present the Corner Bakery Cafe concept to the best of the best in the industry. While Evans is a self-proclaimed “terrible salesman,” his job is focused around things at which he excels: meeting people, building relationships and selecting passionate franchise partners.
After beginning his career at Caesar’s Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, Evans moved into restaurant management at Bennigan’s restaurants before becoming the manager of training at T.G.I. Friday’s and director of training for Radisson Hotels & Resorts. In 1994, Evans was offered the position of director of international franchising at Metromedia Restaurant Group.
Following Metromedia, Evans became the vice president of franchise development at Panera Bread Company for more than three years and held the same position at Colorado-based Noodle & Company. Three years later, Corner Bakery Cafe approached Evans to join the brand and help develop its franchise program.
Evans’ experience and pride in the brand enables him to identify and work with the highest level of partners, and the relationships he’s building are already proving to be fruitful to Corner Bakery Cafe, with seven franchise partnerships announced since the program launched in 2007, and plans for continued growth and franchise announcements solidly in place.
FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: The Fresh Berry Parfait – it’s got all the right textures and flavors in every bite: crisp fresh seasonal berries, cool yogurt and crunchy granola.
Ric Scicchitano, Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage
In addition to his official title as senior vice president of food and beverage, Ric Scicchitano holds the inimitable designation of being the first-ever Corner Bakery employee.
Scicchitano graduated from New York’s Culinary Institute of America (CIA) where he obtained a dual degree in culinary in 1989 and baking in 1991. Upon graduation, he immediately went to work for restaurateur Richard Melman’s newest concepts: Maggiano’s Little Italy and Corner Bakery. As the Corner Bakery brand evolved, Scicchitano’s role grew from spending his days in the kitchen to having an active role in creating an updated menu. By the time the brand had expanded to five stores, Scicchitano was promoted to director of commissary operations and focused the majority of his responsibilities on running operations of all the bakeries.
In 2002, Scicchitano was promoted to vice president of food and beverage where his responsibilities include menu strategy and culinary development. In addition to creating and perfecting new menu items and ensuring current items are in demand and up to par, Scicchitano is also responsible for the purchasing of all food, beverage and packaging needs.
In his more than fifteen years with the brand, Scicchitano and his team have been responsible for menu innovations such as the famous Chicken Pesto sandwich, Harvest Salad with Roasted Chicken and a line of panini sandwiches that are unparalleled within the industry.
FAVORITE CORNER BAKERY CAFE MENU ITEM: It changes all the time … Right now it’s the hot oatmeal with brown sugar and almonds – it’s a darn good way to start a day.