BRAVO BRIO

“We think Bravo and Brio have a great deal of long-term growth potential,” he said, “and we have an opportunity to acquire other brands and

create brands from scratch.”

With that in mind, FoodFirst is also building a culinary center in Orlando.

FoodFirst will keep a staff of 20 to 25 in Columbus for the foreseeable future, Blum said, and staff in Florida will make frequent trips north. Ohio and Florida are Bravo and Brio’s largest markets. The change

does not affect the company’s five central Ohio restaurants (including Bon Vie).

“I do have to say, we really like Columbus a lot,” said Blum, a Cincinnati native and graduate of Denison University, “and we will continue to spend a lot of time in Columbus.”

Bravo Brio was founded in

central Ohio in 1992 by Rick and Chris Doody. Chris Doody left the company years ago and has since founded his own chain, Piada. Bravo Brio has 110 stores split between the two brands across 32 states.

The company staggered through years of declining sales, saw its CEO leave for Bob Evans Farms and attracted a few activist investors who pushed the company for major changes. In the end, Bravo Brio ran out of money and agreed to sell itself earlier this year to GP Investments, which formed FoodFirst, for $100 million.