Luis Comas joined AmRest in July 2020 as President of La Tagliatella, a flagship brand owned by AmRest, and later adding Bacoa, another equity brand, to his portfolio. He has over 30 years of experience in the retail and restaurant industry. During his professional career, he started and grew some of the leading franchise and equity brands across multiple markets in Europe and the Middle East. His achievements include a range of senior positions held with Burger King brand and overseeing Pizza Hut and KFC business as General Manager for YUM Iberia. He also was a key contributor to the initial launch of Taco Bell in Spain. Recently, before joining AmRest, Mr. Comas was the Vice President of the Fast Casual division and Family Dining of Alshaya Group, responsible for managing the group’s fast-casual brands in the Middle East division.
“We are delighted with the promotion of Luis Comas as the CEO of AmRest. This succession ensures a smooth transition and continuity of leadership. In the past year, Luis has worked closely with the entire AmRest management team gaining a deep knowledge of the company’s brands, operating systems, and values. In addition to having an impressive professional track record, Luis is a consolidated leader who is people-centred, supportive, and charismatic. He has all the qualities to lead AmRest on its journey to becoming a European leader who inspires the global restaurant industry,” said Jose Pares Gutierrez, Executive Chairman of AmRest.
“I also want to express our sincere gratitude to Mark for his service, loyalty, and devotion to the AmRest people. Under his guidance, AmRest has successfully navigated through the challenging time of pandemic and continues to be poised for further growth,” added Mr. Pares.
Luis Comas said: “I am greatly honoured to be taking up this role and having the opportunity to build on the legacy and success of AmRest as one of the truly unique restaurant group in Europe. We have the world’s leading restaurant brands, a great management team, and dedicated employees. This puts us on the right track to deliver on the business opportunities created by franchise development, digital innovations, and new trends in the restaurant industry, to the benefit of our guests, shareholders, and society.”