McAlister’s names Paci as new president, CEO

RIDGELAND — McAlister’s Deli has named Frank G. Paci as its new president and CEO effective Sept. 27. He is replacing Phil Friedman.

“We are delighted to welcome Frank as the new leader of McAlister’s Deli. He brings with him a broad range of experience in strategic planning, operations, franchise development and finance,” said Steve Romaniello, member of the board of directors of McAlister’s. “We believe this combination of skills will enable Frank to bring a unique perspective to the leadership of McAlister’s. We could not have hoped to find a better person than Frank to lead McAlister’s Deli into the future.”

Paci joins McAlister’s from The Pantry Inc., a publicly traded convenience store chain where he was executive vice president, CFO and corporate secretary. Paci has more than 25 years of experience working for leading foodservice and retail branded companies, including holding senior roles at Blockbuster, Burger King and Pizza Hut.

Paci received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University and holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business.

“I am excited about joining McAlister’s and the opportunity to lead this business,” Paci said. “McAlister’s is a great brand and I look forward to working with the management team and the franchise community to help the company reach new heights.”

“We would like to thank Phil Friedman for all he has done for McAlister’s over the years and we wish him well as he pursues his interests outside of the company,” Romaniello said.