San Diego — Garden Fresh Restaurants LLC, which operates 97 Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants across nine states, has appointed industry veteran Donald Breen as chief financial officer. He joins the company from Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.
At Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Breen served for the past 10 years as chief financial officer and corporate secretary, leading the company through substantial expansion from $100 million to more than $600 million in annual sales, as well as a successful sale to Darden Restaurants. His prior experience includes chief financial officer and senior management positions with Baja Fresh, Brothers Gourmet Coffee, Jamba Juice and Adolph Coors. Breen brings an extensive background in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, cost management and performance optimization and strategic planning.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Don to the Garden Fresh family. His proven ability to evolve critical financial functions and lead exceptional support teams will make an immediate impact on our restaurant performance, guest experience and growth,” says John Haywood, CEO of Garden Fresh.
In his new role, Breen will lead finance, accounting, IT, risk management, asset protection, facilities, property and legal support functions.
Garden Fresh Restaurants LLC is based in San Diego and operates under two brand names: Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes. For more information, visit www.souplantation.com or www.sweettomatoes.com.
SOURCE: Garden Fresh Restaurants LLC