What Happened?
Dallas, TX-based Corner Bakery Cafe has Promoted Blake Bernet as Chief Legal Officer
About the Company
Corner Bakery Cafe is a fast-casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to guests in 19 states andWashington, D.C. Established in 1991, Corner Bakery Cafe restaurants are owned and operated by CBC Restaurant Corp. with more than 180 company-owned and franchised locations around the country. Founded on a philosophy of creating a place for people to relax and gather with family and friends, Corner Bakery Cafe offers a casual atmosphere featuring innovative, seasonal menu options ranging from hot breakfasts and signature panini to handcrafted salads, sandwiches and mouthwatering sweets. Offering dine-in, to-go and catering service for any occasion, Corner Bakery Cafe delivers a premier bakery cafe experience in the heart of neighborhoods everywhere. Corner Bakery Cafe was acquired in 2011 by Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm that specializes in business and consumer service companies with attractive growth prospects and revenues ranging from $20 million to $1.0 billion.
About the Person
Blake Bernet is not your typical lawyer. There are few members of the bar association who select restaurant sites, design and build cafes, celebrate the grand openings of new locations with their teams, and liven up the corporate office by playing happy birthday on their ukulele. However, as Chief Legal Officer for Corner Bakery Cafe, Bernet does all of the above and more. A dual-degree graduate of Southern Methodist University, Bernet went straight from law school into a demanding law firm. In 1996 he heard about an opportunity at Brinker International that would allow him to use his law degree in a less conventional way – supporting growth and operations for the company’s restaurant locations, specifically Corner Bakery Cafe. In his new position, Bernet gained experience in every aspect of opening a new restaurant and ultimately, when the opportunity presented itself two years later, Bernet was in a prime position to take on the role of leading the development team. In 2006, when Corner Bakery Cafe officially split from Brinker International, there was no question where Bernet was going: he was (and still is) a “Breadhead” through and through. With the new team in place, Bernet’s responsibilities grew significantly. As Senior VP and General Counsel, Bernet acted as general counsel and led the development team, which included new cafe development (the building of new cafes from site selection through opening) and facilities (cafe maintenance and remodeling of older units to reflect today’s vision of the brand). In May of 2014, Blake was promoted to Chief Legal Officer, overseeing the increasing legal responsibilities that come with the brand’s fast-paced, accelerated growth. He still plays his ukulele when the situation arises.
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