P.F. Chang’s New CEO Comes from Panera

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) has hired Eduardo Luz as its President and CEO, effective immediately. Luz was most recently at Panera Bread, serving as Chief Brand & Concept Officer.

Prior to that, he held leadership positions at The Kraft Heinz Co., including Global Brand Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for the U.S., President of the Grocery Business Unit and Zone President North America for H.J. Heinz. Luz also served as CEO for 8Greens, a digital wellness startup, and started his career as a management consultant at Accenture.

“I believe that P.F. Chang’s has a tremendous omni-channel opportunity, both domestically and abroad,” Luz said. “We will broaden our reach as we offer high-quality Asian cuisine and hospitality, proudly serving freshly prepared, chef-created dishes with a differentiated guest experience.”

Said John Paulson of Paulson & Co., the company’s lead investor: “Eduardo brings deep industry experience and a unique set of skills to take advantage of P.F. Chang’s leadership in high-quality Chinese-inspired Asian food service. His expertise in marketing, consumer experience, operations and the growing fast casual category provide us market-leading capabilities.”

Founded in 1993 by Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming, today the company has more than 300 restaurants in 22 countries and U.S. airport locations, including a growing number of P.F. Chang’s To Go locations offering takeout and delivery.