TMKR

Unit Split

Quality Gold

Tastemaker Acquisition Corp.

Raised
$200M
CIK
1821606
SPAC Ticker
TMKRU
Merger
Quality Gold
Focus
Restaurant, Hospitality, Technology
External link: SEC Filings

SPAC Team

Leadership

Dave Pace, our co-Chief Executive Officer and a Director, is a tenured restaurant executive and investor, with over 30 years of public company management experience spanning upscale, casual, fast casual and quick-service restaurant dining. Mr. Pace has served on the Board of Directors of casual dining chain, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (NASDAQ: RRGB), since August 2019 and was named Board Chairman in November 2019. Previously, Mr. Pace served as President and CEO of Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA) from March 2016 to September 2018, after having served as a board member since 2012. During his tenure with Jamba, Mr. Pace led a turnaround that saw the completion of the company’s refranchising strategy and return to profitability, ultimately resulting in a sale to Roark Capital Group-owned Focus Brands, Inc. Prior to Jamba, Mr. Pace served in a variety of executive roles at Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLMN), the most recent of which was President of Carrabba’s Italian Grill from 2014 to 2016. During his tenure at Bloomin’ Brands, Mr. Pace also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Resource Officer from 2010 to 2014, where he had responsibility for leading the company’s Real Estate & Restaurant Development and Human Resources teams, and oversaw the Fine Dining group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pace held various management roles at Starbucks Corporation, Yum! Brands and PepsiCo. Mr. Pace received a B.S. from Cornell University. Mr. Pace is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive management history and experience in identifying, investing in and building businesses in the restaurant and hospitality industries.

Andy Pforzheimer, our co-Chief Executive Officer and a Director , is a decorated restaurant executive and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience with growth brands. Mr. Pforzheimer is the co-founder of the highly successful Barcelona and Bartaco brands, of which he was CEO for 22 years from 1996 to 2018. He led several private equity growth rounds before selling the brands to Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group (NYSE: DFRG) for $325 million in June 2018. Mr. Pforzheimer currently serves as an Independent Director and operating advisor for restaurant growth brands owned by L Catterton, Brentwood Associates and Rosser Capital Partners, and as a mentor to emerging-brand CEOs nationally. He is also a Director on the board of US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD), the second-largest foodservice distributor in the world, Lead Director at Wisely, Inc., a restaurant technology company serving leading fast casual and full-service restaurant chains across the country, and a Director of Upward Projects, Hickory Tavern Restaurants, and Barcelona Restaurants LLC. Mr. Pforzheimer earned a B.A. from Harvard University. Mr. Pforzheimer is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive executive, entrepreneurial and investment experience in the restaurant and restaurant technology industries.

Greg Golkin, our President and a Director , has been the Managing Partner at Kitchen Fund, a leading investor in growth restaurant brands, since 2016. At Kitchen Fund, Mr. Golkin leads a team in identifying investment opportunities, completing due diligence and closing transactions in segment-defining restaurant brands and hospitality technology. Kitchen Fund has completed 14 investments to date across two funds. Previously, Mr. Golkin founded Thinkbinder in 2011, an education technology business focused on distance learning and communication. As CEO, he successfully grew the business and sold the company to Echo360, a global leader in the space, where he then served as Head of Innovation from 2013 to 2016. Prior to Thinkbinder and Echo360, Mr. Golkin was an investor at Maverick Capital, where he covered small cap public market consumer businesses, with a focus on the shifting preferences in the food sector, and an investment banker on the Technology, Media and Telecom team at Goldman Sachs & Co. Mr. Golkin received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Mr. Golkin is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive business, M&A, capital markets and investment experience in the food, retail, and technology industries.

Chris Bradley, our Chief Financial Officer , is a Managing Director at Mistral Equity Partners, where he has been since 2008. Prior to, he was an associate at The Sage Group from 2006 to 2008. He has over 20 years of experience identifying acquisition candidates, conducting due diligence (including detailed accounting and financial modeling) and structuring deals, including 15 years as a restaurant investor. Prior to Mistral Equity Partners, he was an associate at The Sage Group from 2006 to 2008. Mr. Bradley also has operations and strategy experience, having advised numerous companies as a member of their Boards of Directors. Mr. Bradley currently serves on the board of The Beacon Consumer Incubator Fund (a venture capital fund that invests, in consumer technology companies). He formerly served on the board of Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA); The Lovesac Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOVE), Creminelli Fine Meats, LLC, a privately-held premium charcuterie wholesaler, and Country Pure Foods. Prior to Mistral Equity Partners, Mr. Bradley served as an investment banker at Banc of America Securities from 2005 to 2006, a Manager in Burger King’s strategy group in 2004, and a Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers management consulting practice from 1999 to 2004. Mr. Bradley also currently serves as the CFO of Haymaker II (NASDAQ: HYAC), a special purpose acquisition company that on July 13, 2020 announced its intent to enter into a business combination with ARKO Holdings Ltd., a leading convenience store operator, and previously served as CFO of Haymaker I from 2017 until its initial business combination with OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: OSW) In March 2019. Mr. Bradley earned an A.B. from the University of Chicago and an M.B.A. from The Harvard Business School.

Hal Rosser, who will serve as our non-executive Chairman upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, is the Founder and Managing Partner of Rosser Capital Partners, which was founded in 2011. Previously, Mr. Rosser was the co-founder of Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. LLC and served as its Managing Director from 1995 to 2010. During his 40 plus year investing career, Mr. Rosser has originated, evaluated, monitored and exited many consumer transactions, including 19 investments in the restaurant industry. Previous board positions include Au Bon Pain, Barteca Restaurant Group, Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, California Pizza Kitchen, DavCo Restaurants, Il Fornaio, Logan’s Roadhouse, McCormick & Schmick’s, Real Mex Restaurants and Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RUTH). Mr. Rosser received his B.S. from Clarkson University and completed the Executive Development Program at Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Rosser is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive business and investment experience in the consumer and service industries.

Rick Federico, who will serve as one of our directors upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant sector. Mr. Federico is a member of the Board of Directors of Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) and RPT Realty (NYSE: RPT), a publicly-traded REIT. Previously, Mr. Federico served as the CEO or Co-CEO of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. from 1997 to 2015 and as Chairman from 1997 to 2019. Mr. Federico began his tenure at P.F. Chang’s as President in 1996, which is also when he joined the company’s Board. Prior to this, Mr. Federico served in various executive roles at Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), including President of the Italian Concept division, which includes Macaroni Grill and Spageddies. Mr. Federico began his career in managerial positions at Steak & Ale and Bennigan’s, and co-founded Grady’s Goodtimes, which Brinker International acquired in 1989. Mr. Federico’s board experience includes Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ), Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA), Prime Steak Concepts, P.F. Chang’s, and RPT Realty (NYSE: RPT). Mr. Federico received his B.A. from the University of Tennessee. Mr. Federico is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive executive and investment experience in the restaurant industry.

Starlette Johnson will serve as one of our directors upon the effectiveness of this registration statement. Ms. Johnson has served as an independent consultant to private equity funds, and to companies in the restaurant and hospitality industries since 2020 and has served as the President and Director of Lucky Strike Entertainment since February 2019, a privately-held bowling and entertainment company. In October of 2019, Ms. Johnson also joined the board of directors of privately held Jack’s Family Restaurants and serves on its Audit Committee. Ms. Johnson brings three decades of restaurant and entertainment executive and board experience, with executive experience including President & CEO of Twin Peaks Holdings, Inc. from October 2015 to October 2016, President & COO of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAY) from June 2006 to September 2010, and Executive Vice President & Chief Strategic Officer of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) from May 1995 to November 2004. Ms. Johnson began her career in the finance department of PepsiCo’s KFC division. Ms. Johnson currently serves on the Board of Directors of Chuy’s Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHUY), Jack’s Family Restaurants, a privately-held restaurant, and SusieCakes, LLC, a privately-held bakery, with previous board experience including Bojangles’ Inc., Tuesday Morning Corporation (OTCPK: TUES.Q), Front Burner Restaurant Group and Dave & Buster’s. In addition, Ms. Johnson is a member of the advisory board for the Hospitality & Tourism Program at Virginia Tech and serves on the Pamplin College of Business Cabinet at Virginia Tech as well as on the Investment Committee for the Virginia Tech Foundation. Ms. Johnson received her B.S. in Finance from Virginia Tech and MBA from Duke University. Ms. Johnson is well qualified to serve on our board of directors because of her extensive managerial and operational experience in the restaurant and entertainment industries.

Andy Heyer, who will serve one of our directors upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, is the CEO and Founder of Mistral Equity Partners, a private equity fund that invests in the consumer industry. Mr. Heyer is a finance professional with over 40 years of experience investing in restaurants and other consumer and consumer-related products and services industries as well as a senior banker in leveraged finance during which time his clients included many large private equity firms. He has guided several public and private companies as a member of their board of directors. Prior to founding Mistral Equity Partners, Mr. Heyer served as a Founding Managing Partner of Trimaran Capital Partners, a $1.3 billion private equity fund. Mr. Heyer was formerly a vice chairman of CIBC World Markets Corp. and a co-head of the CIBC Argosy Merchant Banking Funds. Prior to joining CIBC World Markets Corp., Mr. Heyer was a founder and Managing Director of The Argosy Group L.P. Before Argosy, Mr. Heyer was a Managing Director at Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated and, previous to that, he worked at Shearson/American Express. Mr. Heyer currently serves as President of Haymaker II (NASDAQ: HYAC). Mr. Heyer currently serves on the board of directors of OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: OSW) and previously served as Haymaker I’s President until consummation of its business combination with OneSpaWorld. He also serves on the board of The Lovesac Company (NASDAQ: LOVE) (where he serves as Chairman) as well as on the board of a private pet products company owned in part by Mistral Equity Partners, Worldwise, Inc. He also serves on the board of Accel Foods, an incubator and investor in early stage food and beverage companies. Formerly, Mr. Heyer has served on the boards of XpresSpa Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: XSPA), The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Jamba, Inc. (NASDAQ: JMBA), El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOCO), and Reddy Ice Holdings, Inc. (OTC: RDDCP).