|
|
Restaurant veteran and former CEO brings 25+ years of multi-unit leadership to Chef Joey Maggiore’s award-winning Sicilian concept
Phoenix, AZ (RestaurantNews.com) The Sicilian Butcher, the modern-casual restaurant celebrated for its house-made pastas, 5-foot charcuterie boards, and time-honored Sicilian recipes, has named hospitality veteran Nicole West as president. West brings more than 25 years of multi-unit restaurant leadership to the role and will guide the brand through its next phase of growth.
Chef Joey Maggiore opened The Sicilian Butcher in Arizona in 2017 to honor his late father, Chef Tomaso, and carry on his treasured Sicilian recipes. Paired with sister concept The Sicilian Baker and its signature cannoli bar, the brand has built a loyal following. It now operates seven locations across Arizona, Tennessee, and Texas, with its Utah debut planned for 2027. The Maggiore Group partnered with Savory Fund in 2021 to bring its Sicilian table to new markets.
West joins from Hi Noon Hospitality, where she served as vice president of operations. There she led five restaurants across three brands with about $40 million in annual revenue. Every location posted record sales, team turnover dropped significantly, and Pinyon Coastal Mediterranean in Scottsdale topped Yelp’s 2026 list of the best Mediterranean restaurants in the U.S. Before that, she spent a decade as CEO of New York Pizza Department, where she led 13 restaurants and 350 team members. She delivered year-over-year growth in sales and profitability and oversaw a full brand refresh. Earlier in her career she held operations leadership roles with Ziegler’s New York Pizza Department, Aramark, and Hillstone Restaurant Group.
“Throughout my career, I’ve believed that great restaurant brands are built on exceptional food, genuine hospitality, and a culture that inspires people to be their best,” West said. “Leading a chef-driven, quality-focused brand like The Sicilian Butcher, alongside the amazing Chef Joey Maggiore, is a dream opportunity. Partnering with Savory Fund and its team of leaders and restaurateurs makes this chapter even more meaningful. Their passion for building great brands and investing in great people has me energized about what’s ahead. Here’s to great food, great people, and the magic that happens when you bring them together.”
“Nicole cares about our guests and our team the same way we do,” said Joey Maggiore, chef and co-founder of The Maggiore Group with his wife and business partner Cristina Maggiore. “She’s famiglia now, and I can’t wait to see where we take this brand together.”
“The Sicilian Butcher has incredible momentum, and Nicole is the right leader to build on it,” said Shauna K. Smith, managing director of Savory Fund. “Her operational strength paired with Chef Joey’s creativity sets the brand up for an exciting next stage of growth.”
Beyond the restaurant, West founded #EveryKidDeserves, a nonprofit that provides school supplies and holiday gifts to Arizona foster children, serving 1,000 kids in 2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston.
For more information, visit TheSicilianButcher.com or follow on social media @TheSicilianButcher.
About The Sicilian Butcher
The Sicilian Butcher, Craft Meatballs and Charcuterie Bar, combines skilled butchery and creative chefery at a modern-casual restaurant for a choose-your-own-meatball and build-your-own charcuterie board experience complete with hand-rolled meatballs with saucy attitude, fresh-made pastas and Sicilian butcher-style meats. For more information, visit TheSicilianButcher.com.
About Savory Fund
Savory is an innovative private equity firm that combines over $750 million in assets under management with a growth playbook and expertise that has been developed over 18 years of operating in the restaurant industry. Savory partners with high-potential, profitable, emerging restaurant brands, to deliver financial capital, industry expertise, growth and revenue opportunities, profitability enhancements and new location development. The Savory team contributes directly to all aspects of growth and replication by using a proven playbook and methodology. Founder involvement in the expansion of a brand is a central theme of the Savory approach as founders carry the tribal knowledge around the uniqueness that has energized early success and is essential to future growth. Savory is currently invested in the following brands: Swig, Mo’ Bettahs, Via 313, Houston TX Hot Chicken, R&R BBQ, PINCHO, Saigon Hustle, Hash Kitchen, The Sicilian Butcher, South Block, Hawkers, Bonrue Bakery, and Zao Asian Grill. For more information, visit SavoryFund.com.
Contact:
Tiffany Martinez
Champion
817-919-6261
tmartinez@championmgt.com