Team member
Co-Founder/Director of Operations
Derek Missimo is a highly accomplished restauranteur with more than twenty-eight (28) years of restaurant and retail experience in sales, operations, and marketing management with a singular focus on long-term company bottom line profits and success. Mr. Missimo is experienced in establishing and developing mutually beneficial client relationships with the goals of increasing new business and expanding market share. He applies an active, rather than reactive, management style focusing on business growth and retention.
Mr. Missimo began his restaurant career in 1994 as Vice President of Operations for the largest franchisee group in the Schlotzsky's Deli system. He had full operational authority and responsibility for the construction, installation, procurement, all operational systems, conversions, and management of 18 separate locations in the Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi markets until the portfolio of stores were sold back to the franchisor in late 2000. Since that time, Mr. Missimo partnered with Don Mitchell to create D&B Mitchell Group, LLC, an ACCBE company comprised of innovative award-winning concepts tailored for airport food & beverage settings with the basic premise of maximizing sales and bottom-line profitability. To date, the results have been phenomenal and are exemplified by the company's strong unit economics, as well as an outstanding debt-to-equity ratio. This partnership is responsible for the original Blue Mesa Taco & Tequila Bar, the proprietary-owned Asian Fusion concept Blue Bamboo, several Brookstone specialty outlets across numerous airports, and an award-winning airport wine bar concept called Vino Volo. Mr. Missimo was also instrumental in bringing Gas Monkey Bar & Grill, the ever-popular themed restaurant of Fast-n-Loud, the number #1 reality show on Discovery Channel, to the DFW Airport. That venture was an immediate success being nominated as the Airport Food and Beverage Conference (FAB) Awards for Best New Bar.
In 2015, Mr. Missimo and his team opened another Blue Mesa Taco & Tequila Bar as well as Mesa Tacos and a Smashburger in the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. In 2017, D&B further expanded their portfolio with the opening of an award-winning Banh Shop created by YUM! Brands in Terminal D and the very first IHOP with a Bar in Terminal E. With that success, the owners of Banh Shop also expanded to the North American cities of Toronto, Vancouver, and another in DFW/Terminal C in 2017. That year concluded with D&B Mitchell Group being awarded the Best ACDBE Concessionaire of the Year at the 25th anniversary gala of the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency, as well as several other prestigious recognitions in the industry. After weathering the dramatic downturn in aviation during the pandemic, D&B emerged in late 2021 to open the very successful 2.0 Taco & Tequila Bar. D&B’s newest venture is the development of a Playmakers concept, focused on bringing the best-in-class celebrity themed restaurant, bar, and retail component to the airport sector. Each of these establishments will be a unique destination celebrating the most iconic celebrity of that city. The cuisine and vision of each restaurant will be crafted by the client, in conjunction with the best the restaurant industry has to offer.
Derek attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and played Division 1 soccer. He was a UNC Letterman, All-American, and All-time leading scorer for the men’s soccer program. He stays involved in the soccer community coaching youth athletes and supporting the United States Women’s National Team in their quest for the next World Cup.
