The Restaurant Veteran has Over 40 Years of Experience
Vicky Bakery, a family-owned dessert franchise based in south Florida, tapped Mauricio Romero as chief executive officer (CEO). As CEO, Romero will oversee Vicky Bakery’s growth. He brings over 40 years of experience to the new role, which was announced amid the dessert franchise’s expansion and new strategic investments.
“I am thrilled to take on this new role with Vicky Bakery as the company has made tremendous strides in creating the very best Cuban bakery whose traditions span three generations. From the first moment I stepped inside a Vicky Bakery, I knew right away why we were different, special, and better than anything else out there,” Romero said in a statement.
Romero has been coming to Vicky Bakery since he got married in 1988. In addition to the great service, he enjoys the brand’s pastelitos de carne and guava. Romero became aware of the position after his friend and mentor, Rene Prats, who was consulting for Vicky Bakery approached him about joining the franchise’s leadership team. Romero looks forward to Vicky Bakery’s franchise growth in Florida and expanding its line of pastries.
Vicky’s leadership team is thrilled to have Romero on board. “Mauricio brings a wealth of experience to Vicky Bakery, from his background in managing large restaurant groups to scaling multiple franchised businesses and working alongside franchisees. As Vicky Bakery continues its transformational journey, Mauricio’s deep understanding of unit level economics and how to meet customer’s needs will help solidify Vicky Bakery as an industry leader while driving profitability across our brand for our amazing network of franchisees,” said Alex Santiago, Vicky Bakery board member and former CEO.
A Restaurant Veteran’s Journey
Romero has always been attracted to the restaurant industry and started working as a dishwasher at Luther’s BBQ in New Orleans at the age of 13. His franchising journey started at Five Guys as divisional vice president of franchise operations of the western U.S. and Canada. To him, franchising is all about the relationship between the franchise and the franchisor, adding that it’s like a marriage.
Throughout his four decades in the restaurant business, Romero has served as president of operations for Fransmart, a franchise development company, and was most recently a fractional chief operating officer of LA EEBI, a franchise business consulting firm that works with fast-casual, quick-service, and full-service concepts. Romero urges aspiring entrepreneurs to hire the best people and follow the franchisor’s processes.
About Vicky Bakery
Founded in 1972, Vicky Bakery has stayed true to its Cuban roots with its menu of breads, pastelitos, croquetas, desserts, breakfast items, sandwiches, cakes, coffee, and more. Since its inception, the company has remained family-owned and has expanded across south Florida.