Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRGI) Files An 8-K Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

ITEM5.02.

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer and President Richard
C. Stockinger to the Board of Directors

On April 28, 2017, the board of directors (the Board) of
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (the Company) appointed
Richard C. Stockinger, the Chief Executive Officer and President
of the Company, as a Class III member of the Board effective
April 28, 2017.

Mr. Stockinger, age 58, has been Chief Executive Officer and
President of Fiesta Restaurant Group since February 2017.
Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of
Benihana Inc. (Benihana) from 2009 until 2014, as a member
of the Board of Directors of Benihana from 2008 until 2014, as a
member of the Audit Committee of Benihana from 2008 until 2009,
and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Benihana from 2010
until 2012. Prior to joining Benihana, Mr. Stockinger spent more
than two decades at The Patina Restaurant Group, LLC and its
predecessor Restaurant Associates, Inc. during which time he
served in various senior executive capacities, including as
President from 2003 until 2008 and as a director from 1998 until
2006. Most recently, Mr. Stockinger had served as a consultant to
Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill Co., a private equity firm, from 2014
until 2017, and Not Your Average Joes, a private restaurant
company of which Mr. Stockinger is also a member of its board of
directors. With nearly two decades of experience as a senior
executive officer and as a director of several restaurant
companies, Mr. Stockinger brings significant leadership,
management, operational, financial, marketing, franchising, brand
management and public company board experience to the Board.
Other than Mr. Stockinger’s employment with the Company, Mr.
Stockinger does not have any other relationships with the Company
that would be required to be reported to Item 404(a) of
Regulation S-K.

Appointment of Nicholas P. Shepherd to the Board of
Directors

On April 28, 2017, the Board appointed Nicholas P. Shepherd as a
Class I member of the Board effective April 28, 2017.

Mr. Shepherd, age 58, served as Chief Executive Officer and
President of TGI Friday’s, Inc. (formerly known as Carlson
Restaurants Worldwide Inc.) from 2009 until 2015. From 2008 until
2009, Mr. Shepherd served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
of the Board of Directors of Sagittarius Brands, Inc., a private
restaurant holding company, which owned and operated the Del Taco
and Captain D’s restaurant brands. From 1995 until 2007, Mr.
Shepherd served in several capacities at Blockbuster, Inc.,
including serving as Chief Operating Officer during 2007,
President of Blockbuster North American from 2004 to 2007,
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Merchandising
Officer from 2001 until 2004, Senior Vice President International
from 1998 until 2001 and Vice President and General Manager from
1995 until 1999. Mr. Shepherd currently serves on the Board of
Directors and as Chairman of the Nominating Corporate Governance
Committee of Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., a publicly traded real
estate investment trust. Mr. Shepherd, as former President and
Chief Executive Officer of TGI Friday’s, Inc., brings
significant leadership, management, operational, financial,
marketing, franchising, brand management and public company board
experience to the Board. Mr. Shepherd does not have any other
relationships with the Company that would be required to be
reported to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

The Company issued a press release on May 1, 2017 announcing the
appointments of Richard C. Stockinger and Nicholas P. Shepherd to
the Board, the full text of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and
incorporated by reference herein.

About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRGI)

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (Fiesta) owns, operates and franchises approximately two fast-casual restaurant brands, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. The Company operates through the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana segments. Its Pollo Tropical is a fast-casual restaurant brand offering a range of Caribbean food. Taco Cabana restaurants offers a selection of hand-made Mexican food. Pollo Tropical restaurants offer Caribbean menu items, featuring its bone-in chicken marinated in blend of tropical fruit juices and grilled over an open flame. Its Taco Cabana restaurants serves Mexican food, including flame-grilled steak and chicken fajitas served on sizzling iron skillets, quesadillas, hand-rolled flautas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos flour tortillas, customizable salads served in its Cabana Bowl, and its breakfast tacos. It also offer a self-serve salsa bar, which includes a selection of made-from-scratch salsas, sauces, sliced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, chopped onions and other items.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRGI) Recent Trading Information

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRGI) closed its last trading session down -0.65 at 24.35 with 667,109 shares trading hands.