Chicago — Potbelly Corporation has appointed Larry Strain as its chief development officer (CDO) effective immediately. Potbelly is contracting with Restaurant Development Experts (RDE), LLC in connection with Strain’s engagement for this role and Bob Wright, president and CEO of Potbelly, will have oversight responsibility for him. Strain will oversee four key areas of shop development including Corporate Development Services, Franchise Sales & Development, Brokerage Services & Tenant Representation, and Strategic & Trade Area Level Market Planning. “The addition of Larry and his wealth of experience in real estate and …
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Denver — Sage Restaurant Concepts, a Sage Hospitality Group company, has appointed Matt Stuhl as vice president of operations. In this role, Stuhl is responsible for the overall operations of a selection of the company’s more than 30 restaurants, bars and coffee shops across the U.S. “We could not be more thrilled to welcome Matt to the Sage family,” says Meaghan Goedde, chief operating officer of Sage Restaurant Concepts. “His incredible depth of knowledge and experience in complex food and beverage operations, ensuring that outlets deliver amazing experiences. Beyond his …
Chicago — 86 Repairs, an innovative platform that automates equipment repair and maintenance for restaurants, has named Sean Ramsey as its new head of revenue. Previously, Ramsey served as vice president of revenue at document drafting lifecycle tech company Litera. During his tenure at Litera, Ramsey was involved in seeing the company grow from 50 employees to over 400. He helped lead the company through multiple major acquisitions and two separate successful private equity exits. The company increased its annual growth rate from 5% to 30%, as well as annual …
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and seven other restaurant concepts, has added additional depth to its senior management team with three new hires: Allen Sussman, general counsel; Ken Kuick, chief financial officer; and Rob Rosen, EVP capital markets. “FAT Brands has experienced remarkable growth in spite of the pandemic, opening new restaurants around the world, and we’re not done yet,” says Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of FAT Brands. “Bringing these three talented professionals on-board will bring additional intellectual capital and practical …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has named John Barresi as senior vice president of finance, chief accounting officer, effective June 7, 2021. He will report to Gustavo Arnal, executive vice president and CFO. In the newly created role, Barresi will lead a team responsible for the development and execution of all corporate accounting and financial reporting functions, including maintenance of fiscal records, management of transactional shared services, preparation of internal and external financial reports, SEC and other regulatory reporting, among other corporate accounting activities. The company has …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has named Stacey Shively as senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Home, effective May 17, 2021. Shively will report to Joe Hartsig, Bed Bath & Beyond’s executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president of Harmon Stores Inc. Shively will be responsible for further accelerating merchandising plans for key categories including bed, bath, seasonal, décor, kitchen, dining, organization, electrics and general merchandise as part of the company’s 3-year transformation strategy. Shively joins Bed Bath & Beyond with more than 25 …
San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats, the largest franchise opportunity in the fast-casual Mexican segment, has hired franchising veteran Shawn Caric as vice president of franchise development. In his new role, Caric will be directing the 740-unit brand’s strategic franchise expansion across key markets in the United States and Canada. Caric most recently served as the director of development for the Midwest region at Dunkin Brands, leading real estate signings and site approval for 11 states. Over the years, Caric has developed a strong record for successfully leading dynamic teams …
Dallas — Tuesday Morning, a leading off-price retailer of home goods and décor, has named Fred Hand as its new chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors, effective May 17, 2021. Hand is one of the most experienced and well respected off-price retail executives, most recently serving as chief operating officer of Burlington Stores, Inc. “We are confident Fred is the ideal choice to lead Tuesday Morning’s future growth,” says Sherry Smith, chairperson of the board. “Fred is an exceptional retailer with outstanding operating, merchandising and …
Boston — Toast, the cloud-based, end-to-end technology platform purpose-built for the entire restaurant community, has appointed Elena Gomez as chief financial officer, effective immediately. As CFO, Gomez will lead Toast’s finance organization and will be responsible for accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis, and business operations. “I am thrilled to welcome Elena to our executive team,” says Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast. “She is a proven business leader and financial executive with more than two decades of experience leading the financial operations of businesses sitting at the intersection of technology, …
Secaucus, N.J. — Leading fashion retailer Ashley Stewart, Inc., which has 82 physical stores in addition to its e-commerce presence, has appointed Lloyd Boston as chief creative officer (CCO). Boston will assume responsibility for the creative direction of the Ashley Stewart brand. Boston joins Gary Sheinbaum, Ashley Stewart’s newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO). The two unite forces once more after time shared building the Tommy Hilfiger brand. Boston began his career as Tommy Hilfiger’s first hand-picked intern in 1989, rising to the brand’s first vice president of art direction. …