Riverside, Calif. — Farmer Boys®, a Southern California-based fast-casual restaurant chain, has promoted Joseph Ortiz to president and chief operating officer. Most recently, he served as vice president of finance & accounting for the company and replaces Dave Wetzel, former president and COO, who is retiring after 37 years in the restaurant industry.
Ortiz has served as vice president of finance & accounting of Farmer Boys since July 2020. In this role, he was responsible for leading the finance and accounting teams, overseeing the information technology team, creating new strategies and growth models, as well as improving workflow and development plans. With more than 17 years of operations and financial experience in the restaurant and foodservice industry, Ortiz has held various leadership roles, including with BakeMark and CKE Restaurant Holdings.
Dave Wetzel
Wetzel joined Farmer Boys in 2020 as senior vice president of operations and was then promoted to president and COO. Under his leadership, Farmer Boys grew average unit volumes by over 20%, improved the drive-thru experience by investing in new equipment and technology, opened its first Arizona location and strengthened its position as a fast-casual competitor in the California, Nevada and Arizona markets. Wetzel plans to focus on nonprofit work upon retirement.
“It has truly been a great honor to have worked alongside the Farmer Boys team as their president for the past 3 years,” says Wetzel. “The accomplishment that I am most proud of was our ability to recruit and retain such an amazing team. I am grateful to the team members who are the pulse of the Farmer Boys brand. I know that Joseph will continue leading the team towards success. I am excited to see what the Farmer Boys team will harvest in the coming years.”
Farmer Boys® is a farm-to-table fast-casual restaurant chain that currently operates restaurants in California, Nevada and Arizona. For more information, visit www.farmerboys.com.
SOURCE: Farmer Boys®