The Naked Empanada Newsroom - Profile and News Archive

The Naked Empanada was the lifelong dream and now passion of Roy Thombs. Roy, who is better known to friends and family as Fuzzy, began his culinary journey at fifteen years old in Morganton, NC.

Never shying away from hard work and the opportunity to learn, Roy worked his way from a dishwasher at Shoney’s to a degree from the prestigious Johnson & Whales University. It was during this time at Johnson & Wales that Roy interned at the highly acclaimed Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. While interning at Grove Park Inn, Roy’s passion for the culinary arts and a culture of service was truly sparked. From Johnson & Wales, Roy went on to work for a number of corporate restaurant groups where he transitioned into operations management roles. Eventually, he moved from operations to administration and served in corporate human resources for a large national chain restaurant, where he spent fifteen years.

As The Naked Empanada continues to grow and thrive, we know that our success is driven by our customers. That is why we dedicate every day to ensuring that every empanada and every experience with our customers is cared for by each of our team members.