Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
Ali Chunara
PresidentAli Chunara is the Co-Founder and current President of The Falcons Group. He has been in the food industry for almost 40 years working with a diverse selection of national brands while also building relationships within the banking industry. He guides the company through ever-changing franchisor and government regulations and uses the resources he has gained throughout his career to secure deals not available to the public. His excellent reputation and decision-making abilities play a pivotal role in leading the company to new heights.
Shamsu Charania
CEOShamsu Charania is the Co-Founder and current Chief Executive Officer of The Falcons Group. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, minoring in Business Administration. After undergrad, he continued his education to earn a Juris Doctor of Law then proceeded to spend 20 years in the food industry. Shamsu is responsible for all financial aspects and day-to-day operations of all entities in the Group. He practices unit-level economics and ensures positive EBITDA to encourage success for all locations while also keeping plans for growth in mind. He pursues new acquisitions and development within current brand partnerships while simultaneously branching out with new brands pushing the Falcons Group to be a rising star in the franchisee network.
Shehzaan Chunara
Vice PresidentAs the Vice President of Development for The Falcons Group, Shehzaan is responsible for the overall growth and development of the Group’s diverse portfolio of restaurant brands. He deals with contract and lease negotiations, land acquisitions, as well as securing financing for various entities of the company. Through his network developed from prior business deals and utilizing his Master of Business Administration degree, he can secure prime locations and unexplored trade areas that grant the company opportunities for tremendous growth. Applying his thorough knowledge of the real estate market accompanied by excellent negotiation skills, Shehzaan is instrumental in helping the company achieve its goals of expansion.
Matney Gornall
CFOMatney joined The Falcons Group in May of 2022 after 18 years in banking. Originally a graduate of Kalamazoo College with a BA in International Area Studies and Spanish he started his career at Huntington Bank in a branch. During his time in the branch he developed an appreciation for a client first mentality and also a fascination for businesses and so he went back to school – first at Western Michigan University and later at Georgia State University to gain a more robust business education. After several years in a branch in Michigan, Matney returned to Atlanta and took his first roll at SunTrust Bank as a credit analyst focused on commercial banking clients.
During his time at SunTrust Matney held 6 different roles ranging from portfolio management to asset based lending in what prior to the SunTrust/BB&T merger into Truist was SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. His career with Truist, culminated as an SVP of Middle Market Banking focused on consumer and retail related businesses in the broader Atlanta market. Throughout his time in banking Matney built a reputation for his tenacity for serving clients and figuring out how to find solutions to the most complex client problems.
After 18 years in banking Matney is excited to have moved to the other side of the table to use his deal making and problem solving skills to help drive profitable growth in the dynamic and fast paced restaurant industry.
Operations Team
Jeff Ritson
President of Operations
Jeffrey M. Ritson is President of Operations for The Falcons Restaurant Group and is a food service veteran with more than two decades of restaurant experience. He handles the overall outlook of TGI Fridays & Twin Peaks, its operating units, and the day-to-day operations while also being an ownership advisor, strategic visionary, and creating business relationships with vendor partners. Jeffrey and his wife, Caroline, reside in Lakeside Park, Kentucky with their two children, Bella and Max. He is a member of The Gerson Lehrman Group Councils and a former Board member of The Mathis Foundation for Children.
Hiten Patel
Vice President of Operations
Hiten grew up in a small town in central England where his business experience started early. He worked with his father in the family shop as well as on rental properties. In 2001, he immigrated to the United States where he obtained his business degree from Clayton University. After graduation, he began his career with RaceTrac before venturing into Krispy Krunchy Chicken and Hunt Brothers Pizza. However, in 2012, Hiten decided he wanted a career change. Originally, he didn't want to be in corporate America but he knew he wanted to help underperforming business. So in late 2012, Hiten joined The Falcons Group and never looked back. He quickly moved through the ranks and is currently a partner as well as a franchisee for Dunkin'/ Baskin Robbins where he achieves his goal of helping individuals grow personally and professionally.
Chris Anticoli
Director of Operations
Chris Anticoli grew up in Southwest Ohio, where he still resides with his wife and three children. He graduated from the Ohio State University with a criminology degree in 1996. He previously served as a General Manager in the restaurant industry for 18 years before joining the Fridays team in 2015. Chris is now the Fridays Director of Operations for The Falcons Group and oversees multiple units throughout the company.
Mizan Rahman
District Manager
Mizan has worked with Shamsu, Co-Founder of The Falcons Group, since 2005 and is the current Operations Manager for 6 Dunkin' locations in the Atlanta area. He grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh where he went to West End High School and later graduated from Commerce College. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family.
Ahmed Abouhalawa
District Manager
Ahmed is the current Operations Manager for 6 locations in the Atlanta area and has been with The Falcons Group since 2017. He grew up going between the United States and Egypt to complete his schooling and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.
Angela Armstrong
District Manager
Angela has spent the last 25 years with Checkers and is currently the District Manager for 8 locations in Atlanta, Georgia. She began her journey at Mercer University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology degree. In her free time, she enjoys serving her community and volunteers for the Back to School Drive as well as helps sponsor Christmas Extravaganza with her church.
Earl Bouknight
District Manager
Earl grew up in Aiken, South Carolina. He went on to study Music at South Carolina State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science. He started working for Checkers in 2000, beginning as an Assistant Manager to his current position of District Manager.
Brian Bratcher
District Manager
Brian has been with Rally’s for over 30 years. He started as an assistant manager and eventually became a District Manager.
Rita Chewning
District Manager
Rita has been with Rally’s for over 26 years and is currently the District Manager for six stores in the Evansville market. She has been married to her husband Tom for 34 years. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her grandchildren.
Angie Tutt
District Manager
Angie has been with Rally’s for 32 years. She started as a team member and has moved to a District Manager. She has been married to my husband for 17 years and has seven grandchildren that she loves spending time with in her free time. She also enjoys fishing and cooking out as a family.
Office Support Staff
Sundar Pillai
Chief Administrative OfficerSundar is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of The Falcons Group with over 30 years of hospitality industry experience. He holds Master's degrees in Business Administration and Advanced Costing, Systems Analysis and Design as well as Hospitality Management. He has assisted in the management of multiple franchise locations for brands such as Dunkin', Church’s Chicken, Checkers, and Popeyes. He has won numerous regional and national awards for each brand and aims to do the same for The Group. He uses his favorite Guiding Principle, "Make it better than it was before," as he supervises daily operations hoping to seek optimal financial performance.
Toya Houchins
Payroll & HR ManagerToya began her employment with TGI Fridays in 1986. By 1988, she was the restaurant accountant where she was introduced to the world of Human Resources, Employee Benefits, and Payroll. Toya began working for The Falcons Group in 2019 as the Manager of Payroll and Human Resources for the TGI Fridays entity. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio where she enjoys working with the Ronald McDonald House, Matthew 25 Ministries charity organizations, and spending quality time with her two grandchildren.
Debby Esposito
Accounts Payable ManagerDebby Esposito grew up in East Haven, Connecticut where she attended East Haven High School before graduating from Quinnipiac University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Her accounting career started in Atlanta with the Peasant Restaurants Group before transitioning to a stay-at-home mom with her daughter, Aly. She rejoined the workforce eight years ago and began working at The Falcons Group in Fall 2019. She is currently the Accounts Payable Manager for brands TGI Fridays and Checkers. She is a huge sports fan and enjoys cheering on her favorite team, Alabama Crimson Tide, and watching all other sports with her husband, Mike.