Clyde’s Restaurant Group, a Graham Holdings Company subsidiary, announced today that John D. McDonnell has been named president. He succeeds Thomas M. Meyer, who will remain on as strategic advisor. Meyer has been in the role since 2010.
"John will be an outstanding president. He has an exceptional ability to lead teams using effective operational strategies while also exhibiting an unwavering commitment to excellence. With our strong and tenured team by his side, John is perfectly positioned to lead Clyde’s next period of growth," adds Meyer.
McDonnell joined Clyde’s Restaurant Group in 2016 as chief operating officer. Prior to that, he served as co-founder, president, and CEO of the privately-held chain Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, which he and his partners started from scratch and grew to 24 locations in 12 states nationwide. A graduate of Cornell School of Hotel Administration, McDonnell previously worked for CRG early in his career, serving as a manager at 1789 Restaurant and Old Ebbitt Grill.
Tom Meyer originally joined Clyde's in 1983 as corporate chef and has made a career out of fine-tuning the great American saloon menu. Over the years, he has assumed responsibility for all aspects of Clyde's Restaurant Group's operations and strategic alliances. His creativity, culinary skills, and unique instincts for customer experiences have proved invaluable to the growth of the company.
McDonnell says: “Tom’s talent, insight, and passion have genuinely shaped every aspect of this company. He is a restaurant titan who has unwaveringly led with kindness and empowerment over the last four decades. I could not be more honored to follow Tom as president, and am excited to have his collaborative involvement in our very exciting future.”
News and information presented in this release has not been corroborated by WTWH Media LLC.
