Detroit — Michigan-based Savvy Sliders has named QSR veteran Bryon Stephens as chief development officer. Stephens brings 35 years of industry knowledge to the Savvy Sliders brand. With 35 stores open today, and another 30 in development, Stephens will guide the 3-year-old brand to a growth trajectory of more than 500 stores over the next 48 months.
“With Bryon’s leadership and knowledge, this unique partnership will lead us to explosive growth throughout the world,” says Happy Asker, founder and CEO of Savvy Sliders.
While at A&W Restaurants, Stephens spearheaded the development efforts that saw the evolution of co-branding, putting two great brands together under one roof. The initiative drove A&W’s acquisition of Long John Silvers and Tricon Global Restaurant’s subsequent purchase of Yorkshire Global Restaurants, forming YUM! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company with more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide. Stephens has opened more than 2,000 franchise outlets while at Yorkshire & YUM! and is credited with developing more than 3,000 different franchise outlets over several brands throughout his career.
Stephens joined Marco’s Pizza in 2004. As vice president of development — and later, chief operating officer — his innovative approach to systemwide expansion led to the company’s rapid, award-winning growth.
After being named president of Marco’s Pizza in 2014, Stephens focused on the strategic alignment of operations, marketing, supply chain, finance, information technology and restaurant development to accomplish bold sales and growth goals, while maintaining high benchmarks for product quality and guest satisfaction. Under his leadership, Marco’s grew from 115 units to over 800 by the end of 2018.
Savvy Sliders first opened in 2018 in Commerce Township, Mich. Today, it has 35 locations in metro Detroit with 30 more in development in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida and Texas.
For more information, visit www.savvysliders.com.
SOURCE: Savvy Sliders