NEW YORK: Fuku has announced that industry veteran Claudia Lezcano has been appointed as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Fuku is a fried chicken sandwich-centric, fast casual restaurant that was founded by David Chang and Momofuku in 2015.
With more than 25 years of marketing experience for major brands, Lezcano most recently worked at Church’s Texas Chicken where she served as Senior Vice President of US Marketing. Before Church’s, Lezcano held top marketing positions at Celebrity Cruises, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and the MLB’s Miami Marlins.
Her extensive QSR and restaurant experience also includes 8 years at Burger King Corporation, where she led strategy and marketing communications for the then $3 billion company. As CEO, Lezcano will be responsible for identifying additional opportunities that will drive accelerated growth and expansion of the Fuku footprint.
“I have known Claudia throughout my career and admire her tremendous work ethic, brilliant marketing vision, and positive attitude while facing the toughest of challenges,” said Matt Higgins, Cofounder and CEO of RSE Ventures, whose portfolio includes Fuku as well as David Chang’s renowned culinary brand Momofuku and Australian-inspired lifestyle and hospitality brand Bluestone Lane, among others. “Claudia is one of those dynamic executives who understands that the success of a restaurant brand starts with operational excellence and delivering on the promises you make to your customers and broader communities.”
Higgins continued, “She has deep QSR expertise and truly knows the hospitality space, including how essential it is to have a consistent and meaningful brand voice across all consumer touch points. Her ideal blend of marketing and operations experience makes Claudia uniquely suited for this role, and I’m confident that Fuku is well-positioned for continued success under her leadership.”
“I am honored and excited to be leading Fuku’s next chapter of growth,” said Lezcano. “Chef David Chang created an unmatched chicken sandwich when he founded Momofuku → Fuku in 2015, and my vision is to continue building upon on his original concept by offering approachable, tasty food that changes the way people think about fast casual. I look forward to working with the team to continue growing our footprint throughout the country so even more guests can delight in Fuku’s one-of-a-kind chicken sandwich.”
Guided by many of the same principles that Momofuku was founded on, Fuku challenges convention and offers guests approachable, high-quality food that draws influences from both Asian and American cuisine. In addition to operating its own storefronts, Fuku has a presence in stadiums and arenas, airports, and ghost kitchens throughout the country.