PJW Restaurant Group appoints chief operating officer

Westmont-headquartered PJW Restaurant Group said April 21 that it elevated Jessica Breslow to chief operating officer.

Breslow has led marketing and IT for the family-owned multi-unit, multi-concept group with 27 restaurants throughout the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas since 2016. She will assume leadership for day-to-day operations as the group positions for post-pandemic growth across PJ Whelihans and its other five concepts: The ChopHouse, Treno Pizza Bar, The Pour House, Central Taco and Tequila, and ChopHouse Grille. She will continue to report to PJW Chief Executive Officer Jim Fris.

“Jessica has been my strategic partner leading the essential planning, innovation and operations for us for the last five years,” said Fris. “While we may not take the same road, we are in complete alignment in the direction – which is critical and healthy for our organization. Her vision, experience, and shared passion for customer service and building future leaders will be key to fostering a culture of operational excellence in the next phase of our restaurant group. I could not think of a more fitting candidate for the role.”

Under Breslow’s tenure, PJW Restaurant Group has successfully executed a strategic growth plan, adding seven new locations, including the launch of new concepts Central Taco and Tequila and ChopHouse Grille. PWJ said Breslow’s cross-functional leadership was vital to the group, as she led the implementation of systems, technology and marketing innovation as the foundation for accelerated growth.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these moves provided operational transparency, communication platforms, and the ability to mobilize online ordering and third-party delivery platforms during an extremely challenging time in the hospitality industry.

Prior to PJW Restaurant Group, Breslow was associate vice president at Aramark, where she helped define the national foodservice and hospitality giant’s IT-related marketing and operations strategies for its then 3.5 billion education sectors. She built a national dining program and was responsible for consumer promotions and field-based training for the company’s Higher Education sector. Before Aramark, she was at the Ford Motor Co., where she was responsible for the performance of the dealer’s network across the Mid-Atlantic regions.

“I’m thrilled and excited to take on this expanded role partnering with Jim, as we take on our next challenge to build, invest in our people and improve the customer experience,” said Breslow. “Our ability to collaborate, innovate and execute at scale will help drive the future growth of our organization.”