About Tony Penn

“Tony is my go-to guy for turning concepts into reality.” -Aarón Sanchez

Tony Penn is the Owner of The Alternative Board (TAB) in Orange County, CA – a peer advisory board centered on working with business owners and CEO’s to boost their business.

“He has an innate ability to create a culture where people work hard, respect each other, and have fun.” – Christine Connell Director of Sales & Operations MRN Hospitality

Drawing from his more than 20+ years’ experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, this innovative thinker tackles human resource issues, implements sales building techniques, prepares exit plans, and cooks up strategies that achieve stratospheric results.

Having lived in New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Erie, Vegas, Cleveland, Princeton, and Tucson, this San Diego-native has returned to his Southern California roots. Living with his teenage daughter, he now calls Newport Beach home.

A Track Record of Results

Tony has a reputation in the restaurant industry as a trailblazer having created, opened, and implemented a variety of long standing and ground breaking concepts. He launched the first Outback Steakhouse brand in California, helped create and expand the Buca di Beppo concept, franchised and scaled the Counter Burger franchise, and partnered with Food Network star Aarón Sanchez to introduce several successful ventures.

The Power of Peer Collaboration

This recipe for success is a concept of peer collaboration along with business and personal coaching is consistent with his philosophy and values. His greatest joy is helping others achieve success, however they define it.

Building Enduring Brands

A name is not enough to gain traction and profitability in the business world. In working with celebrity chef Aarón Sanchez, Tony masterminded the agreement with House of Blues to leverage the Chopped star’s brand and infuse the entertainment empire with his recipes. He also was on the ground floor with the chef designing and implementing the Mestizo, Johnny Sanchez, and Paloma concepts. Throughout his work with TAB members, he continues to scour opportunities to boost their brands.

Putting Out Fires, Keeping His Cool, & Facing the Raw Truth

Working in the feverish pace at restaurants taught Tony to keep his cool regardless of the situation. He’s diffused knife fights without bleeding a drop and has overcome every type of natural and manmade disaster without blinking an eye. Solid facilitation, calm under pressure, and unwavering fairness remain a critical component of Tony’s leadership DNA.

Tony’s Secret Sauce: Crafting a Culture of Collaboration

While a Service Manager at Chi-Chi’s at age 26, Tony reached his “aha” moment: force-fed management doesn’t work, but collaboration does. Sharing problems, brainstorming solutions, and working together cements loyalty which builds a lasting culture of trust. The ultimate result? Brand loyalty and better margins.

Analyzing Problems Through A Former COO’s Eyes

As a former Chief Operating Officer at Trifecta Management Group, Tony was in charge of creating new concepts, managing multi-million dollar budgets, and assessing concept feasibility. Most importantly, he was a hands-on manager responsible for bottom-line profitability. This executive role allows him to analyze and solve a wide variety of business problems facing other business owners.

Tony is my guy. He was responsible for all my restaurant operations. Tony is truly the best at what he does. He’s insightful, creative, thorough, and everybody loves working with him. He’s the only person I’ve ever worked with that can create an environment where hard work can be so much fun. He has a unique combination of culinary skills, hands on experience, creativity and a realistic perspective that gets results.

Aarón Sanchez, Award-winning chef, cookbook author, Food Network Star, and judge on Masterchef

Tony spearheaded the revamp of our entire Culinary and Operations Program. Tony’s ability to connect with people at all levels allowed us to streamline the process and get company-wide buy-in.

Felix Musenden, Executive Vice President - House of Blues

First and foremost, it was a pleasure both knowing and working with Tony. He’s a seasoned operator, who brings to the table a wealth of knowledge, experience and integrity. He has an innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and his inclusive management style made all the hard work extremely enjoyable.

Christine Connell, Vice President of Operations - MRN Hospitality

I’ve worked with Tony on numerous projects over the past several years. The passion and energy he brings every day is infectious to whomever has the pleasure to work with him. I appreciate the collaborative environment he creates, and his professional and candid feedback are invaluable.

Doug Sander, Account Executive - Sysco Corp.