RETAIL/RESTAURANTS

New Association Chief: Ronald F. Higgins, president and chief executive officer of Trans/Pacific Restaurants in Irvine, is the newly elected president of the California Restaurant Assn. His one-year term began Sept. 1.

Higgins, a 23-year veteran of the food-service industry, previously was vice president of finance for Jolly Roger Inc. and Specialty Restaurants Inc. He also served as a vice president of finance and administration at Carl Karcher Enterprises.

Higgins has been president of Trans/Pacific, formerly Jolly Roger Inc., since 1981. Trans/Pacific operates 16 restaurants in California and 31 in Hawaii, including the Jolly Roger and Monterey Bay Canners casual dining restaurants and the Sizzler franchise for Hawaii. Higgins also is president of Forbco, a Seal Beach-based company that operates 38 Sizzler restaurants.