Prezzo poaches Brewdog’s James Brown to lead the recovering restaurant chain

Prezzo has appointed Brewdog’s James Brown as chief executive of the restaurant chain in the latest part of its ambitious post-collapse turnaround plan.

Brown served as chief of Brewdog Bars and helped the brand grow from 18 sites to 135 globally. He has held several senior leadership roles at the company since 2015.

The bar chain has recently come under fire for flouting the rules by failing to file its company accounts on time.

It also lost its B-corp status in 2022 after an open letter from workers alleged a “culture of fear” at the punk brewery.

Brown said he was “thrilled to be joining Prezzo at such an important time in its journey”.

Prezzo, which is owned by private equity firm Cain International, is in the midst of a deep restructuring. It closed around a third of its sites last year after “the post-Covid recovery proved harder than [it] had hoped”.

The hospitality group had collapsed into administration due to the pandemic, however it was rescued by current private equity owners for an undisclosed amount.

It is now looking to “return to profitability” through expansion, with a pipeline of potential sites being examined, according to Sky News.

“We are delighted to welcome James to the Prezzo family,” said Jonathan Goldstein, Chairman of Prezzo. “Dean’s leadership has put Prezzo in a strong position for future growth, and with James’ wealth of experience, industry expertise, and proven ability to drive success, we are excited to build on this foundation, broaden our reach, and secure lasting success in the competitive dining sector.”

Brown added: “The brand has a proud heritage and immense potential, and I look forward to working closely with the talented team to drive innovation and create outstanding experiences for our customers.”

Dean Challenger, Prezzo’s former CEO, will also reassume his previous role as chief financial officer at the restaurant chain.