Pacific Catch has named Sam Hallak as Chief Executive Officer, handing the 16-unit West Coast seafood brand a new operator-focused leader as it pushes deeper into Southern California. Hallak succeeds co-founder Keith Cox, who moves to the board of directors. The leadership change comes roughly four months after Pacific Catch opened a new location in Brea, California — its latest step beyond its Northern California base into the Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego markets.
Hallak's Operator Pedigree
Hallak brings more than two decades of multi-unit, full-service restaurant experience to the role. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Innovative Dining Group, where he oversaw a 16-restaurant portfolio spanning Sushi Roku, BOA Steakhouse, Katana, Pacific Grill, and Creekside Terrace. Before that, he spent six years at The Kitchen Restaurant Group, rising through Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, and ultimately Chief Operating Officer. Earlier stops include Area Director roles at Tavistock Restaurant Collection and nearly a decade at The Palm Restaurant Group.
That depth of multi-unit operational leadership is precisely what Brentwood Associates, Pacific Catch's lead equity investor, says it was looking for. "Sam brings the operational discipline and hospitality instincts that will help Pacific Catch reach its next phase of growth," said Rahul Aggarwal, Partner at Brentwood Associates. Mike Hislop, a company director, echoed that view, citing Hallak's track record across "highly regarded brands" as critical to building on the chain's existing foundation.
Growth Priorities
Hallak frames his mandate around three pillars: hospitality execution, operational tightening, and menu evolution. "My focus is on the fundamentals: exceptional hospitality in every restaurant, tighter operational execution, and making sure the menu keeps evolving with our guests," he said. Pacific Catch's concept centers on fresh, sustainable seafood with Pacific Rim flavors — a positioning that has found traction in California's crowded casual-dining and foodservice landscape over the brand's 23-year history.
For the broader restaurant and foodservice industry, the hire underscores a familiar private equity playbook: install a seasoned COO-track operator as CEO when a founder-led brand is ready to scale unit count and standardize back-of-house systems. Brentwood's portfolio history — more than 50 companies and $7 billion in aggregate transaction value — suggests Pacific Catch could pursue a more aggressive development pipeline under Hallak's watch. Whether that means franchising, new markets outside California, or accelerated corporate-owned openings remains to be seen, but the Brea opening signals the brand's appetite for geographic spread beyond the Bay Area.
With 16 locations across four California markets, Pacific Catch remains a regional player, but its sustainable-seafood positioning and Aloha-inspired hospitality model give it a differentiated story in a segment where menu innovation and guest experience are increasingly the competitive dividing line.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
