Rich Stark has a broad range of corporate and entrepreneurial experience in the restaurant and retail industries including senior level marketing and franchising positions as well as creating and growing independent multi-unit restaurants. As founder of the award-winning brewpub Phoenix Ale Brewery Central Kitchen, he evolved the original restaurant into multiple locations eventually merging into the newly created PHX Beer Co. Prior to creating and operating Central Kitchen, he was CEO for 14 years of Phoenix based Ziegler’s NYPD Pizza. During that time, he led the expansion from two to twelve Valley locations including two franchised Sky Harbor Airport restaurants.

Rich has also served as the founding COO of Soupmasters Int’l, a multi-regional mall food court concept featuring all-natural soups, salads and sandwiches. Prior positions include Vice President, Franchising for Sbarro as well as Director of Licensing, Roy Rogers Restaurants (Marriott Corp.). He has also held senior level operations, marketing and franchising positions in service companies outside of the hospitality industry.

Rich earned his MBA from the Colgate Darden School, University of Virginia after graduating with a BS, Marketing from the University of Maryland. He is on the board of PHX Beer Co. and is longstanding member of the National Advisory Board of Northern Arizona University’s School of Hospitality & Restaurant Management.  He resides in Scottsdale, AZ with his wife and most recent canine rescues.