Meet Your Sauce Team
Ray Zandi
V.P. of U.S. Development for MTY Group
Ray opened his first franchised restaurant in the late 1980’s in California, while working full time as a first responder Paramedic. He became a multi-unit operator within a couple of years and expanded his restaurant portfolio by opening an espresso café and then acquiring a coffee roasting café. Several years later, he retired from being a Paramedic and moved to Arizona with his family, where he opened another sandwich chain franchise and became a multi-unit operator for that concept. Both he and his wife, Traci’s Phoenix location, became the training restaurant for that chain’s West Coast franchisees. Several years later, in the mid 2000’s, Ray bought the Franchise Development rights to a Mediterranean concept called Extreme Pita out of Canada. They opened over 10 locations in their territory and soon became the U.S. head office based in Arizona for the Brand. Ultimately, Ray and his team opened over 50 Extreme Pita locations over the next few years in the U.S.
In 2013 MTY Group out of Canada acquired ‘The Extreme Brandz’ concept of restaurants, and Ray sold his development rights back and became MTY’s Vice President of U.S. Business Development for the MTY group of brands. Within a couple of years, MTY Group acquired Kahala Brands out of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Ray moved into the Kahala offices and continued to develop the MTY group of brands in the U.S. At Kahala, Ray also assisted with the development of several Kahala brands of restaurants as well.
In 2022, parent company, MTY Group, acquired BBQ Holdings, Inc. Ray became the V.P. of U.S. Development for BBQ Holdings, Inc., that includes well-known brands such as Famous Dave’s BBQ, Village Inn, Barrio Queen, Sauce Pizza and Wine, and many more. Currently, Ray continues to be the V.P. of U.S. Development for several brands under the MTY umbrella.
Patrick Lacek
Director of Operations
Patrick Lacek is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in the restaurant industry. His journey in the industry began as he worked his way up the ranks at various Phoenix area restaurants. After graduating with honors from Arizona State University, Patrick worked under Chef Adriano Paganini at Pasta Pomodoro, where he developed a passion for the business. He then joined Famous Dave’s, where he rose through the ranks to become the Director of Operations for a Famous Dave’s franchise group. In this role, Patrick made significant contributions to the growth and success of the business.
Currently, Patrick serves as the Director of Operations for Barrio Queen, Tahoe Joe’s Steakhouse, and Sauce Pizza and Wine for MTY Group. In this role, he has been instrumental in driving operational excellence, elevating the customer experience, and driving strong financial performance. Patrick’s dedication, leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence have earned him a reputation as a trusted expert in the restaurant industry. He is passionate about driving growth and success in all his endeavors, and is committed to making a positive impact in the industry.
Jon Bratspir
Area Director
Jon Bratspir is an experienced professional in the Phoenix restaurant scene for over 25 years. After attending Arizona State University, Jon worked his way up in the Phoenix Restaurant Industry. He started his professional career at the age of 22 with the Business Services division of Aramark as a food service director providing corporate meals and catering to Salt River Project, which included managing a restaurant, a satellite restaurant, and catering to 26 different locations.
From there, Jon accepted an Area Director position with Einstein Bros Bagels, where he oversaw 15 locations in the Phoenix metro area. His 15 locations represented 10% of the entire brand’s profitability. Jon’s next endeavor was Director of Operations for Salad Collective Inc. Jon oversaw 14 MadGreens salad restaurants in Phoenix, AZ and Austin, TX. In addition to those restaurants, he also oversaw the acquisition of 14 restaurants in Dallas, TX called Snappy Salads, where he was successful at simplifying the brand to make them more efficient and profitable. Jon joined Sauce Pizza and Wine as an Area Director in early 2021, overseeing 13 locations in Phoenix and Tucson.
Chef Gary
General Manager and Corporate Chef
Jose A. Perez-Lopez, known in the restaurant business as Chef Gary, started his career with the restaurant group Bravo Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois, at one of their brands, making from scratch homemade comfort food, as well as scratch baked fresh bread. While there, Chef Gary honed his skills and passion for the culinary world and rose the ranks to corporate trainer. After over 11 years with Bravo Restaurants, Chef Gary made his first major career move to become the Director of Culinary Development for fast casual concepts for Fox Restaurant Concepts, with the main focus being a new concept called Sauce Pizza and Wine.
For years, Chef Gary developed and perfected all menu offerings, expanding the menu and creating all new fresh dish offerings for both permanent and seasonal menu items. Chef successfully managed and operated the Sauce brand for over 8 years under the Fox Restaurant Concepts umbrella, and over 2 years under the new ownership of MTY Group. While working for Fox Restaurants, Sauce Pizza and Wine won the coveted Nation’s Restaurant News Hot New Concepts Award.
Throughout his career, Chef Gary has opened over 15 new restaurants for 6 different concepts. Chef Gary credits his love, dedication and drive to create great food to his tenure and time spent with unbelievable minds at Fox Restaurant Concepts. He has had the opportunity to work directly with fresh, inspiring leaders and innovators like Sam Fox, Christopher Christiano, Clint Woods, Travis Watson and Silvana Salcido Esparza. Currently Chef Gary works as General Manager, Chef, and he also assists in menu development under guidance from Jon Bratspir, Patrick Lacek, and Executive Corporate Chef Jeff Shapiro.
Andrew Patti
Creative Director and Brand Strategist
Andrew Patti is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Having studied marketing and graphic design at Arizona State University, Andrew is deeply passionate about the intersection of design and technology, recognizing the significance of visual marketing in today’s digital landscape. With over 15 years of experience, he has honed his skills in creating captivating campaigns, crafting memorable branding, and executing impactful advertisements.
Throughout his career, Andrew has collaborated with renowned companies such as Mercedes Benz, Vitamin Water, Honor Health, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Barrio Queen, Pita Jungle, Purely Sedona, and the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. Drawing from his background in the hospitality industry, Andrew possesses a keen understanding of operational intricacies, allowing him to develop marketing strategies that resonate with both businesses and customers.
In 2022, Andrew joined Sauce Pizza and Wine, playing a pivotal role in shaping the restaurant’s marketing and branding efforts. Through his vibrant and boundary-pushing art direction, he has contributed to defining the unique identity as it stands today.
Andrew’s passion for creative excellence and his ability to merge artistic vision with strategic thinking make him an invaluable asset in crafting compelling brand experiences.
Start a Conversation with Our Team
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