Covelli Family Limited Partnership, a Franchisee of Panera, LLC and Caribou Coffee.
Kevin Ricci is the owner of Covelli Family Limited Partnership, an entity of Covelli Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Panera Bread. Ricci and his parents operate 59 of the 300+ Panera Bread locations encompassed under the Covelli umbrella which is ranked one of the top 10 restaurant franchisees in the country. Caribou Coffee was added to his portfolio of brands when he signed on as a franchisee and opened his first location in Lutz, FL this past fall.
While employing over 2200 people throughout Central Florida and the Greater Tampa Bay area and overseeing close to $200 million in annual sales, Ricci leads by example with a hands-on approach to his business. He can be found in any one of his locations daily, helping the team members and talking with customers. Ricci’s desire to keep his finger on the pulse of his business has enabled him to set a high standard of excellence for his employees while maintaining operational integrity and social responsibility.
Ricci’s leadership style has been recognized by employees, the customers he serves, and community leaders. In recent years, Ricci received the prestigious honor of being named one of Tampa’s 10 Leading People in TAMPA Magazine, recognizing individuals who will play a distinct and crucial role in the city’s growth.
Ricci’s company has been a six-time finalist in the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Corporate Philanthropy Awards receiving honors including the Judges Choice Award, 1st Place in the 501+ Employees Category and being named the overall Benefactor of the Year. Additionally, Covelli Family Limited Partnership was chosen as an Honoree for the inaugural One Tampa Bay Awards and was also honored as a finalist for TBBW Philanthropist of the Year. Currently, Ricci is an honorary board member for the Children’s Cancer Center.
Ricci has often said that giving back to the community has been in his family’s DNA since the company was founded. He was raised with a strong moral responsibility to give back and considers this to be one of the most important missions in his personal and professional life. Over the past 25+ years, Covelli Family Limited Partnership has proudly donated to local charities and non-profit organizations in Florida through their Operation Dough-Nation® formalized giving program consisting of Community Breadbox™ cash collections, sponsorships, proceeds from cause-marketing campaigns and the Day-End Donation program. In the past year alone, over $6.4 million worth of unsold bread and bakery products have helped to feed individuals facing food insecurity in our local communities.
One of Ricci’s biggest accomplishments has been establishing the Panera Bread Knead for Knowledge Scholarship Program benefiting the Children’s Cancer Center. Since the inception of the program, 235 scholarships totaling $681,500.00 have been awarded to local students who have battled childhood cancer or chronic blood disorder. An additional hands-on interactive educational program, referred to as S.A.I.L., is funded through his company and offered bi-monthly at the Children’s Cancer Center.
Additionally, four years ago, Ricci and his wife Kerry, created a fundraiser called “Tennis on the Green, for the love of Children’s Cancer Center” to help ensure that the Panera Bread Knead for Knowledge Scholarship Program was financially sustainable following the pandemic. Tennis on the Green has since grown into a top event in the Tampa Bay area, raising close to $1 million dollars for the Children’s Cancer Center.
Covelli Family Limited Partnership is also a proud supporter of several community partners including St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay, Foundation for Foster Children, Orlando Health Foundation, New Kids for Hope, and AdventHealth Foundation of Central Florida.
Ricci graduated cum laude from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. He resides in the Tampa Bay area with his wife and two young boys.
