Puccini Group has announced the passing of founder Bob Puccini, who died on October 9th.
A pioneer in the hospitality and design industries and a trusted advisor to hospitality groups across the globe, Puccini launched his eponymous, San Francisco-based practice more than 20 years ago. His passion for restaurants, design, and operations helped the firm emerge as a market leader for international hospitality projects. During his career, Puccini was responsible for the conceptualizing, design and renovation of more than 1,000 restaurants worldwide.
“Bob approached restaurants with a deep understanding of how people want to feel,” says Puccini’s wife Niki Leondakis. “While food, design, and service were all critical, he would absorb, in a way that no one else could, the desires of a population and translate them into dining experiences that would fulfill people’s dreams of being comforted, loved, important, and awed.”
Partner and COO Shelia Turner, partner and CCO Rob Polacek, and partner and CFO Simeon Meyer issued the following joint statement:
“We have been blessed to have worked with Bob for many years. We share his vision for the business, and plan to do him justice by running things as he would have done. Bob was well-loved and is fondly remembered by our team as well as by our clients. It is due to his entrepreneurial spirit, unconventional approach, deep generosity, and love of mentoring others that Puccini Group is where it is today – a global leader in the hospitality industry. We will miss him dearly and are honored to build on his legacy.”
Throughout his career, he served on the board of directors of the California Restaurant Association and the board of advisors at the University of San Francisco’s Hospitality Management program. He was also a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, the Foodservice Consultants Society International, as well as the World Travel and Tourism Council. Accolades accrued during his tenure include being named the Anti-Defamation League’s Food and Wine Industry Person of the Year, and he was awarded the prestigious Platinum Circle designation from Hospitality Design in 2009. A graduate of San Diego State University with a bachelor degree in political science and economics, Puccini previously served in the Peace Corps in Brazil.
The firm will retain the name Puccini Group, and will move forward with its current team to continue Puccini’s love of delivering world-class hospitality experiences.
