Peter Piper Pizza, the “food, family and fun” fresh-made pizza restaurant, has named seasoned restaurant industry executive Genaro Perez as the brand’s chief marketing officer, effective immediately.

Perez most recently served as senior vice president of marketing at P.F Chang’s, where he oversaw all facets of marketing, including advertising, research and development, online/interactive/digital, public relations and promotions. Prior to that, he was vice president of marketing for Peter Piper Pizza.

In his new CMO role, Perez is charged with all marketing strategy, planning and execution for Peter Piper Pizza, Peter Piper Express and Peter Piper Pizzeria, developing marketing campaigns and content strategies across all channels, including online, digital and social, as well as public relations. Perez will work alongside senior leadership to further develop Peter Piper Pizza’s overall brand presence within the marketplace and support the brand’s continued expansion.

“Genaro’s return to Peter Piper as CMO comes at an ideal time as we continue building upon the momentum he helped start as our VP of marketing,” said CEC Entertainment CEO David McKillips. “With Genaro’s leadership and deep understanding of the brand and our guests, we expect continued growth and success among all portfolio brands and franchise partners.”

In addition to Peter Piper Pizza and P.F. Chang’s, Perez has held key positions with several major brands, including Brinker International and Nokia. He has more than 25 years of restaurant and hospitality branding and marketing experience.

“It’s an exciting time to return to the beloved Peter Piper Pizza brand as we celebrate 50 years of food, family and fun in 2023,” said Perez. “The first Peter Piper Pizza opened in 1973, and since then, we have grown to more than 100 locations in the U.S. and Mexico, with three distinct concepts that will propel the company forward over its next 50 years.”

Perez, a native of Mexico City, holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.