Café Enterprises Names Fred T. Grant, Jr. CFO Of Fatz

Café Enterprises Inc. has named Fred T. Grant, Jr. chief financial officer of its casual-dining chain, Fatz, the company said Thursday.

Grant is a certified public accountant with more than 20 years of experience in the financial sector. Before joining Fatz, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc.

Prior to that, he was chief financial officer and division president of Ryan's Family Steak Houses, a division of Buffets Inc.

"We are delighted to have Fred join the Fatz family," said Jim Balis, chief executive of Café Enterprises. "Our restaurants have developed and flourished over the past 23 years, and Fredʼs extensive financial experience is sure to help us take it to the next level."

Fatz, a subsidiary of Café Enterprises, which is based in Taylors, S.C., has 49 locations in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.

The chain, which was founded in 1988, embarked on a rebranding effort last year that included a name change from Fatz Café, a new logo, refreshed interior and exterior designs, and a new menu. Fatz also recently debuted a children's menu featuring VegiTales, the children's series featuring talking vegetables.

Contact Paul Frumkin at paul.frumkin@penton.com.