Einstein Noah Restaurant Group (NASDAQ: BAGL), a leader in the quick-casual segment of the restaurant industry operating primarily under the Einstein Bros. Bagels, Noah’s New York Bagels, and Manhattan Bagel brands, announced the appointment of James P. O’Reilly as Chief Concept Officer, effective immediately.

As Chief Concept Officer, Mr. O’Reilly will report directly to Jeff O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer and President, and be responsible for all aspects of store branding and concept development including advertising, merchandising, promotion and innovation. Additionally, he will assume responsibility for Einstein Noah’s information technology department, as well as restaurant development and real estate.

Mr. O’Reilly comes to Einstein Noah after a twelve year career with Yum! Brands, the largest restaurant company in the world in terms of system restaurants. Most recently he served as SVP of U.S. Marketing and immediately prior, served as Chief Marketing Officer for KFC in the United States. Throughout his tenure, Mr. O’Reilly held various senior-level marketing positions at the company’s core concepts namely Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell and his lengthy domestic experience was complimented by international assignments including the United Kingdom, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. He received Yum’s Global Chairman’s award in 2005 and was also voted Marketer of the year (as Marketer for the Next Generation) by Brand Week Magazine.

James O’Reilly added, “I am very excited to join Einstein Noah and believe the Company is well positioned in the marketplace. The Company has strong brands that resonate with a loyal customer base and our current market penetration suggests a business that can flourish over the next decade. I look forward to working with this strong and experienced team and believe we can create significant value over the coming years.”