Giordano’s Announces Retirement of CEO Yorgo Koutsogiorgas

November 22, 2024 at 09:00 AM EST

Departing CMO of Portillo’s, Nick Scarpino, to Take the Helm of the Famous Stuffed Pizza Brand in December 2024

Giordano’s (the “Company”) announced today that Yorgo Koutsogiorgas, who has served as CEO since 2011, will retire from the Company, effective December 9, 2024, and will continue to serve as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors and Advisor. Nick Scarpino will be departing his role as Chief Marketing Officer of Portillo’s and join Giordano’s as the next CEO over the coming weeks.

Under Koutsogiorgas’ leadership, Giordano’s doubled in size and expanded its operations, both with company-owned as well as franchised restaurants, beyond its core market in Illinois to nine other states. He also launched the e-commerce business for Giordano’s in 2012, delivering its popular stuffed pizza to the company’s millions of loyal customers’ doorsteps throughout the United States. Koutsogiorgas also established a partnership with the Chicago Cubs and, in the past five years, expanded the collaboration to include the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, where Giordano’s serves as the exclusive pizza partner.

“I am very proud of the work our team has done over the past 13 years to expand our operations, grow our revenue and successfully navigate several challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, while exceeding the expectations of the company’s stakeholders all along,” said Koutsogiorgas. “The company is in a great position today, poised to finish 2024 with positive customer traffic and strong sales, compared to 2023. I am thrilled to have served the company during its 50th anniversary this year and look forward to seeing the brand thrive for another 50 years.”

“We are grateful for Yorgo’s leadership in growing Giordano’s into a truly iconic pizza franchise recognized across the United States. Giordano’s would not be where it is today without him and we look forward to his continued partnership on the Giordano’s board,” said Richard Levy, Chairman of the Board of Giordano’s and CEO, CIO and Founder of global private capital firm Victory Park Capital. “We are thrilled to welcome Nick to Giordano’s. Nick brings a tremendous amount of leadership, industry and digital marketing experience and we are confident he is the right leader for Giordano’s next phase of growth.”

As a recognized industry executive, Scarpino brings 20 years of marketing expertise and 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Scarpino serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Portillo's, the publicly traded restaurant known for its menu of Chicago-style favorites, where he led the team behind the Portillo's online ordering platform and guided the launch of delivery at all Portillo's locations nationwide. He also oversees brand partnerships and served on the menu strategy team and real estate committee. Prior to joining Portillo's in 2015, he worked in digital advertising leadership roles at Google.

“As a life-long Chicagoan, I love Giordano’s, and I’m honored to be the next leader of this beloved brand. I look forward to working with Yorgo and the rest of the Giordano’s Board, as well as the Company’s strong management team and partners, to continue to build upon its legacy and grow the brand across new channels and markets,” said Scarpino.

ABOUT GIORDANO’S

Based in Chicago, Giordano's World Famous Deep-Dish Pizza has been serving its world-famous pizza for 50 years when founders and immigrant brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio introduced their mother's stuffed pizza recipe to Chicago in 1974. Becoming one of the originators of what is now internationally known as Chicago-style stuffed pizza, Giordano's currently operates over 60 restaurants across the country and is also available for shipping anywhere in the continental United States by visiting www.giordanos.com.