Sam Hallak, a restaurant executive with more than 20 years of multi-unit, full-service experience, has been named CEO of Pacific Catch, the California-based seafood chain backed by private equity firm Brentwood Associates. Hallak succeeds co-founder Keith Cox, who moves to the company's board of directors.
The New Leader's Background
Hallak arrives from Innovative Dining Group, where as Chief Operating Officer he oversaw a 16-restaurant portfolio that included Sushi Roku, BOA Steakhouse, and Katana. Before that, he spent six years at The Kitchen Restaurant Group, climbing from Director of Operations to COO. Earlier stints include an Area Director role at Tavistock Restaurant Collection and nearly a decade at The Palm Restaurant Group — a résumé built entirely in the full-service, experiential dining segment that Pacific Catch occupies.
That operational depth is central to the mandate Hallak is walking in with. His stated priorities are elevating hospitality execution, tightening operational discipline across the chain, and continuing to evolve a menu rooted in Pacific Rim flavors and sustainable seafood sourcing. "My focus is on the fundamentals: exceptional hospitality in every restaurant, tighter operational execution, and making sure the menu keeps evolving with our guests," Hallak said. "I'm excited to work alongside the team to help build on Pacific Catch's 23-year legacy and bring this brand to even more guests across the West Coast."
Growth Ambitions in Focus
The leadership change arrives as Pacific Catch is actively expanding its California footprint. The brand, which launched in the San Francisco Bay Area more than two decades ago, opened a new location in Brea, California in May 2026 — part of a push deeper into Southern California markets including Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. The chain now operates 16 restaurants in total.
Rahul Aggarwal, Partner at Brentwood Associates, framed the hire as positioning the brand for its next performance tier. "Sam brings the operational discipline and hospitality instincts that will help Pacific Catch reach its next phase of growth," Aggarwal said. For private equity-backed casual dining brands, that kind of language typically signals unit growth targets and tighter same-store metrics ahead of a potential recapitalization or exit.
For operators tracking casual dining expansion trends and the competitive seafood segment on the West Coast, Pacific Catch's trajectory is worth watching. The brand competes in a niche that prizes both sustainability credentials and Pacific Rim culinary identity — attributes that increasingly resonate with California diners. The chain's Aloha-inspired hospitality positioning also distinguishes it from more transactional fast-casual seafood competitors.
The appointment reflects a broader pattern in restaurant leadership and operations: growth-oriented brands backed by institutional capital tend to transition from founder-led management to operationally specialized executives once a regional multi-unit platform is established. Pacific Catch, with 16 units across four California metro markets, fits that profile squarely.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
