Handley Amos has stepped down as managing director of Neapolitan pizza chain Rossopomodoro after over four years of leading the 10-strong business in the UK, MCA has learnt.
The company, which operates a number of sites with retailer John Lewis, has promoted Daniele Di Martino, the group’s director of operations to managing director to replace Amos, who it is thought has lined up an as-yet confirmed further role in the sector.
The former Nando’s regional director Amos was hired to improve the brand’s fortunes in the UK, where it initially had three sites.
Amos joined Nando’s UK business in 1999 when it operated just 12 restaurants and stayed for 12 years, leaving with responsibility for over 100 of the chicken chain’s restaurants in London and the south-east.
The Change Capital Partners-backed Rossopomodoro has now opened more stand-alone restaurants in London – including sites in Camden, Hoxton and Swiss Cottage – and has also expanded outside the capital via link-ups with department stores.
The group made its regional debut in Selfridges Birmingham in 2011 and opened two restaurants with John Lewis last year – one in the store’s flagship Oxford Street branch that also includes its parent group’s fledgling Ham Holy Burger concept, and another at John Lewis Newcastle.
It is thought that a lot of the changes made by Amos in the UK business have been rolled out to the group’s other restaurants internationally.
