Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant Expands Corporate Team

COUNTRYSIDE, Ill., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, a multi-unit winery, restaurant, and retail concept, celebrates the end of the summer season with the addition of four corporate executive team members to help propel the company into the next phase of growth throughout the country.

• Diana Garvis Purcel has joined the team as Chief Financial Officer. Purcel had previously been Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Secretary for the past 10 and a half years for Famous Dave's of America, Inc., a public company with approximately $500 million in system-wide sales. 
  
  "I am honored to be joining Cooper's Hawk as its CFO at such an exciting time," she said. "Cooper's Hawk is a dynamic brand that is uniquely positioned in the casual dining segment and [founder and CEO] Tim [McEnery] has done a tremendous job positioning the company for future expansion. I look forward to working with Tim and this talented team and contributing to the company's next phase of growth and continued success."
  
  Purcel started her career with Arthur Anderson Co. more than 25 years ago, and has since earned top recognition for her professional work, including being twice named Top Woman in Finance in the state of Minnesota by Finance Commerce Magazine.  A Tulane University graduate, Purcel also worked at Target Corporation, Damark International, Inc. and Paper Warehouse, Inc.  During her tenure with Famous Dave's Inc., she helped lead the company through extensive change as well as expansive unit, revenue and stock price growth.
  
  
• Phoebe McMillan has taken on the role of Chief Strategic Officer to help the company move forward on many critical and opportunistic initiatives. McMillan has been with Cooper's Hawk for two years, both as an advisor and Chief Financial Officer. A graduate of Princeton University and The Kellogg Graduate School of Management, McMillan has more than 15 years of financial and strategic advisory experience working with high-growth restaurant companies throughout the country, most recently through her consulting firm, Restaurant Strategy.
  
  
• Ben Hummer, former Senior Vice President of Operations of Seattle's Precept Wine, has been named Vice President of Winery Operations.  Born and raised in Washington State, Hummer immersed himself in the packaging and beverage industries since attending Western Washington University.  He first gained facilities and production management experience with Dasone Waters of North America and Campbell's Soup.  Hummer was introduced to the wine business with Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates as Supply Planner. For the last seven years, he oversaw all winemaking, bottling, logistics, and supply chain managment at Precept Wine, which included an annual production volume of more than 1 million cases.
  
  
• Tara Snyder, former Senior Director of Leadership and Development Services at Bloomin' Brands, Inc., joins the team as Vice President of Learning and Development.  Snyder has more than two decades of leadership and development experience. Since graduating from Virginia Tech, she has worked at large corporations throughout the nation, including Walt Disney World, Blockbuster, Inc., Starbucks Coffee Corporation, and Advanced Auto Parts.  Most recently, Snyder's two years with Bloomin' Brands including her enterprise-wide training initiatives, which were adopted by corporate headquarters like Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's, and Bonefish Grill.  

The team expansion will support further plans for five new Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant locations through summer 2015, including further expansion into the Virginia, Florida, and Midwest markets.  Each new location will create more than 150 jobs for their respective communities. 

"I am pleased that we are able to attract this level of talent and experience to Cooper's Hawk," said Tim McEnery, founder and CEO.  "These four individuals will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goal of national expansion."

All team members will work out of the Restaurant Support Center in Countryside, Illinois.

Today, Cooper's Hawk produces more than 260,000 cases of wine per year, making it the fifth largest U.S. wine producer outside of California with projected revenues of more than $125 million for 2014.

About Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants

An eclectic combination of winery, restaurants, and retail stores, Cooper's Hawk is the brain-child of entrepreneur Tim McEnery, who opened the first winery and restaurant in 2005. Operations have since expanded to 15 locations, with International Drive in Orlando, Florida slated to open September 2014 as its 16th.  The uniquely modern yet casual dining experience, coupled with an exclusive and active wine club, has led to more than 200 wine awards.  In 2010, Cooper's Hawk was named "Hot Concept" Winner by Nations Restaurant News.  To learn more about Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurants, visit www.chwinery.com

Media Contact: Melanie Pierce, 1-708-215-5660, [email protected]

SOURCE Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants