Christopher Russo

Christopher Russo Email and Phone Number

Director of Sales and Marketing @ Commercial Kitchen Stop
Port St. Lucie, FL, US
Christopher Russo's Location
Port St Lucie, Florida, United States, United States
About Christopher Russo

Visionary. Entrepreneurial. Customer-Driven. Innovative. These are just a few words that describe Christopher's leadership skills. Leading and growing companies and startups, creating and implementing innovative brand strategies, and driving year-over-year revenue growth is the hallmark of Christopher’s 25-year career. Over the years, Christopher has developed a passion for identifying emerging market trends and opportunities and creating exceptional customer and client experiences through product and service innovation. Christopher brings extensive expertise across operations, P&L management, marketing, construction, culinary, and supply chain management to each role, having worked as a President, Founder, and Consultant. Regardless of the challenge, Christopher remains committed to fostering partnerships that deliver growth and create long-term value for the company and stakeholders.Christopher's career in the food and beverage industry began in 1995 when he founded Hurricane Grill & Wings®. Over his tenure, he grew the national chain to 35 units, ~150 employees, and a combined system sales of over $45M in gross revenue. Also, he led the chain to receive numerous national accolades, including the Festival Favorite and Best Creative Sauce at the National Buffalo Wing Festival, Future 50 Brands & Top 20 Fastest Growing Concepts from Restaurant Business, Top 40 Fast and Serious from Franchise Times, & 10 Great Places to Wing It from USA Today. 2017 was the final exit of Christopher’s brand departure with a sale to a Nasdaq listed company.Christopher owned and operated three of his personal units in the franchise system which he used to keep the brand on trend and to keep his operational skills relevant. (Christopher currently owns and operates one restaurant today for those same reasons.) In 2010, Christopher joined Abrika Restaurants as its President and Chief Concept Officer (CCO) till 2014. Well-Done Hospitality began in 2008 as a brand start up consulting business where he was the CCO and helped countless clients create or reimage their brands and locations up till 2017. During Christopher’s time, he also led several creative brands to earn multiple Addy and Webby Awards, and won Food Network's SOBE Food and Wine Fest Award for Best of the Munchies at Italio: Modern Italian Kitchen.Throughout his career, Christopher has developed a reputation for building and leading high-performing teams. He's a collaborative leader who values open communication and empowers his teams to take ownership and make decisions that drive success.

Christopher Russo's Current Company Details
Commercial Kitchen Stop

Commercial Kitchen Stop

View
Director of Sales and Marketing
Port St. Lucie, FL, US
Christopher Russo Work Experience Details
  • Commercial Kitchen Stop
    Director Of Sales And Marketing
    Commercial Kitchen Stop
    Port St. Lucie, Fl, Us
  • Cheney Brothers, Inc.
    Senior Project Manager
    Cheney Brothers, Inc. Aug 2018 - Apr 2024
    Florida, United States
  • Cheney Brothers, Inc.
    Senior Project Manager
    Cheney Brothers, Inc. Aug 2018 - Apr 2024
    Florida, United States
  • Cheney Brothers, Inc.
    Senior Project Manager
    Cheney Brothers, Inc. Aug 2017 - Apr 2024
    Riviera Beach, Florida, United States
    Consult-Design-Build projects related to Hotels, Resorts, Country Clubs, Restaurants, and Specialty Markets. Maintained no less than 30 client relationships at any one time. This included negotiating contracts and discounts, coordinating with architects, interior designers, and general contractors. Delivered a 47% increase in project average from 9% to 17% in 2022. Contributed to 35% project growth in the department from 67 jobs in 2017 to 104 jobs annually in 2022. Served as a trusted advisor to the Equipment and Supplies Vice President by providing regular updates to senior leadership on project progress and results in the department. Collaborated to create a standardized book of drawings such as symbols, tags, and construction details for AutoCAD drafters to standardize drawings amongst the five teams in the department.Negotiated design agreements, designed kitchen and bar blueprints along with MEP Schedules and quotes for purchasing with no less than 20 vendors or manufacturers on each project. Lead initiatives in our internal/external teams identifying and implementing solutions to our complex problems in our projects aiding in successful outcomes. Responsible for attending site meetings on the client’s behalf to ensure the timeliness of the project and budgets were kept.Final logistics included transportation, consolidation, hood, and ventilation design coordination and installation, custom stainless design and fabrication, walk-in cooler and freezer installs, and final cooking equipment installation.
  • Hurricane Grill & Wings
    Founder
    Hurricane Grill & Wings 1995 - 2022
  • Hurricane Grill & Wings
    President
    Hurricane Grill & Wings Mar 2000 - Jul 2008
    Fort Pierce, Florida, United States
    Founder and Creator of a National Restaurant Chain – Hurricane Grill & Wings®. The chain's concept and vision were the creation of 30 flavors of sauces for chicken wings in 1995. Owned and operated 5 units before setting up the franchising model to expand. Sold to a Nasdaq listed company in 2017.Grew the chain from a single store to 35 units, 27 direct reports, and ~150 employees through the franchise system, with combined system sales of over $45M in gross revenue and an unmatched 3:1 sales-to-investment ratio.Responsible for the inception and completion of all franchise documents along with their continued annual review, edits, and financial audits with the legal and financial firms we retained to file with the Federal Trade Commission. Received numerous national accolades throughout tenure, including the Festival Favorite and Best Creative Sauce at the National Buffalo Wing Festival, Future 50 & Top 20 Fastest Growing Concepts - Restaurant Business, Top 40 Fast and Serious - Franchise Times, Franchise 500 - Entrepreneur Magazine & 10 Great Places to Wing It - USA Today.Raised capital throughout tenure by leading fundraising strategies for the restaurant chain's growth and expansion, including developing strategic partnerships with investors and negotiating with lenders.Directed the commercialization of over 30 flavors of sauces for private distribution and public consumption. Drove strategic decision-making across senior management initiatives that resulted in a 3% profitability increase in the franchise system by introducing co-packing, private packaging, private labeling, manufacturer and distributor contracts, and freight management.Purchased soybean commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade and negotiated chicken contracts with Sanderson Farms and Purdue Farms off the Urner Barry Market.Negotiated direct distribution with brands such as Nestle, Sanderson Farms, Lamb Wesson, Cargill Foods, Excel Beef, Italian Rose, and Ken’s Dressings.
  • Well-Done Hospitality Consulting
    Chief Concept Officer
    Well-Done Hospitality Consulting Jan 2014 - Aug 2017
    Port St Lucie, Florida, United States
    Designed and implemented new restaurant strategies, concepts, and business plans that enabled clients to increase overall profitability which would allow them to raise development capital to launch or the ability to expand their operational footprint.Executed a new supply chain strategy that resulted in a reduction in food costs without compromising the food integrity while generating significant growth in revenue after implementation. Increased customer satisfaction by developing and implementing a new customer initiative in foot traffic through trending new food and beverage menu offerings. Identified new business opportunities and trends in the industry for clients through market research. Worked with the marketing department or brand agency to design or refresh the brand, design point of purchase, social media channels, grand opening kit, and direct mail pieces ensuring effective communication with customers.Positioned clients when necessary to “All Natural” proteins throughout the menu along with transitioning the restaurants from petroleum-based packaging to more responsible and sustainable materials such as corn and paperboard packaging. Worked closely with third-party marketing and research firms to confirm and strengthen the brand's position and image with guests through social media campaigns, influencers, loyalty, and direct mail to drive store revenues. Menu focus and review for clients included limited-time offers, brand differentiators, brand menu refreshment gap analyses, recipe and plating documentation, and food service manufacturers' recommendations. Refined company visions, missions, and core values for their teams to grow internal hospitality and culture.
  • Abrika Restaurants
    President & Chief Concept Officer
    Abrika Restaurants May 2011 - Dec 2014
    Ocala, Florida, United States
    Served as President and CCO for a company with a $35M portfolio of brands and assets. Oversaw the company's overall business growth strategy with expansion into several new markets for hotels, restaurants, and private clubs in multiple states. Oversaw the group's day-to-day operations, from staffing and customer service to inventory management and supply chain logistics.Boosted brand awareness by developing and monitoring metrics such as social media followers, website traffic, and advertising impressions to drive targeted marketing campaigns.Established a new brand standards program that achieved 100% compliance across all locations.Increased customer retention rate by 16% through loyalty programs and targeted marketing campaigns.Research and Development budget of 500K annually for travel and expenses that enabled the company to stay on the front side of emerging market trends for all food and beverage. Coordinated all market tours with top commercial real estate brokers for hospitality and conducted all research on-site selections.Collaborated with CFO on all modeling and forecasting financials for construction and operating budgets as well as projections for store growth and development. Led the third-party development team on construction management. Responsible for hiring architects, interior designers, engineers, general contractors, and procuring all materials for construction, furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions about Christopher Russo

What company does Christopher Russo work for?

Christopher Russo works for Commercial Kitchen Stop

What is Christopher Russo's role at the current company?

Christopher Russo's current role is Director of Sales and Marketing.

Not the Christopher Russo you were looking for?

Free Chrome Extension

Find emails, phones & company data instantly

Find verified emails from LinkedIn profiles
Get direct phone numbers & mobile contacts
Access company data & employee information
Works directly on LinkedIn - no copy/paste needed
Get Chrome Extension - Free

Aero Online

Your AI prospecting assistant

Download 750 million emails and 100 million phone numbers

Access emails and phone numbers of over 750 million business users. Instantly download verified profiles using 20+ filters, including location, job title, company, function, and industry.