Happy Hour with Fast Casual CEOs

Jessica DePetro, President and Chief Executive Officer, joined Bagel Brands in 2022. In her role, Jessica is responsible for the strategic growth and development of the Company. Jessica grew up in Chicago and earned her BS in Finance from Indiana University. She launched her career working in consulting with Ernst & Young before returning to school full time and earning her MBA from Harvard Business School. Following graduate school, Jessica held several progressive finance roles working at FTI Consulting, Amsted Industries, Lifetime Fitness, and most recently Vail Resorts where she acted as the Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis. Jessica resides in Denver area with her husband Corey, their three children Will, Charlotte, and Ethan, and their dog Mud. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family outdoors hiking, camping, skiing, and paddleboarding.

Claudia Lezcano is the CEO for fuku, the quick culinary fried chicken concept founded by David Chang and the Momofuku restaurant group. Since taking the helm in 2022, she has grown fuku’s national footprint across major sports and entertainment venues, increased system-wide sales year-on-year and has positioned the brand for domestic and international expansion and franchising opportunities. She brings an entrepreneurial mindset to her more than 25 years of corporate leadership experience having worked for major global brands including Burger King, Church’s Texas Chicken, the MLB’s Miami Marlins and the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. She cultivates trusted business and stakeholder relationships, while developing high-performing empowered teams in a respectful and inclusive work culture. Claudia currently serves on the board for Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, having previously served as a board member for MyVenue and Bluestone Lane.

Michele Maerz brings over 30 years of leadership in the restaurant industry to her role as President of Salata. Known for her transformative vision, Michele has enhanced operations, forged strategic partnerships, and expanded the Salata Mobile Kitchen to support communities, fundraisers, and college campuses. She is deeply committed to building a culture of trust, genuinely caring for her team, and empowering them to excel and grow. Michele established her foundation in the industry with Brinker International and expanded her executive leadership experience during her tenure with BJ’s Restaurants, where she advanced to Regional Vice President. She later held leadership roles at Lazy Dog Restaurants and On The Border Grill & Cantina. Throughout her career, Michele has been dedicated to driving growth, fostering innovation, and inspiring trust and collaboration across her teams and organizations.

Sherif Mityas serves as Chief Executive Officer of BRIX Holdings and as an Operating Partner for JAMCO Interests LLC. He focuses on supporting the group in the areas of strategic positioning, growth, and M&A, while leading the shared services and brand teams of the current portfolio companies of BRIX Holdings, LLC and Amici Partners Group, LLC. Prior to this role, Mityas has held various executive positions in consulting and the retail-restaurant industry sectors most notably as the chief experience officer for TGI FRIDAYS and as the chief executive officer for Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery. Mityas received a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Boston University, a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Kelly Roddy is Chief Executive Officer and President of WOWorks, a position he has held since the company’s inception in 2020. Before assuming this role, Kelly held C-suite and other leadership positions as Chief Executive Officer and President of Saladworks, LLC and Garbanzo Franchising Co., LLC; President of Schlotzsky's Franchisor SPV, LLC; and President of Schlotzsky's Franchise, LLC. Kelly has 21 years of additional executive management experience at HEB, Scholastic, and Walmart. Kelly is an active member in the restaurant industry and has spoken multiple times at International Franchise Association (IFA), International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), Franchise Springboard, Fast Casual, Restaurant Finance and the IFMA Chain Operators Exchange (COEX). Under his vision, WOWorks has grown to six thriving better-for-you restaurant brands that share the value of fresh, clean, healthy-halo ingredients that can be customized to any taste: Saladworks, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Frutta Bowls, The Simple Greek, Barberitos, and Z!Eats.