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Anthony Wedo, CEO of Buffets, Inc., one of the nation’s largest steak-buffet restaurant companies joins Enterprise Radio to talk about his participation in the “Undercover Boss” show and what he gained from the experience.
Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Anthony Wedo discuss the following:
- Why did you decide to participate in “Undercover Boss”? What was your goal?
- What restaurant positions did you receive training as part of the show?
- What were some key take aways from your experience on “Undercover Boss”? What did you learn?
- What were the highlights of the experience? What were the low lights?
- Would you recommend other “bosses” to do the show?
Duration: 6:30
Anthony Wedo, CEO of Buffets, Inc. is a highly successful leader and executive in the restaurant industry. With more than 25 years of hospitality experience, his unique background has contributed to his demonstrated success as a Fortune 50 senior executive, a high growth entrepreneur and a turnaround CEO.
Wedo was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Buffets, Inc., the nation’s largest steak-buffet company, in December 2012. Buffets, Inc. currently operates 343 restaurants in 35 states and is comprised of 333 steak-buffet restaurants under the brands Ryan’s Buffet, HomeTown Buffet and Old Country Buffet and 10 Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse restaurants.
Wedo began his career in hospitality at PepsiCo, as part of a new breed of young, entrepreneurial restaurant operators brought on to help the corporate giant create a culture of nimbleness. As one of the first participants in PepsiCo’s Senior Operations Designate program, Wedo was put on the fast track and quickly grew to Vice President and General Manager of the Southeast Division of KFC, overseeing more than 1,200 restaurants, 7,000 employees and $1 billion in revenue.
Following his success at PepsiCo, Wedo founded Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Systems, the largest Area Developer and franchisee of Boston Market. As Chairman, President and CEO, he grew the company over a four-year period to 160 restaurants, generating more than $250 million in annualized sales. During his tenure with Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Systems, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year, Area Developer of the Year and chosen as a top 50 Employer in Pennsylvania.
Following the acquisition of Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Systems by Boston Market, Wedo held the position of Chairman, President and CEO of New World Restaurant Group.
New World, with approximately 1,000 units and $750 million in system revenues, operated six unique brands, including Einstein Bros., Noah’s and Manhattan Bagel.
Before joining Buffets, Wedo served as CEO of Mainline Capital Advisors, LLC, which provided M&A, turnaround management, advisory and executive management consulting services to debt investors and private equity sponsors in the restaurant industry. He developed Leadership – The 12 Commandments, a guide for and about leadership, and is a highly sought after speaker on the subject of leadership.
Wedo holds an MBA from Cornell University and the Queen’s University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He has a B.S. from Penn State University. He is also a retired Commissioned Officer in the United States Naval Reserve.
Links: www.buffet.com
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