Dallas — Ray Blanchette, chief executive officer of TGI Fridays, is stepping down. Rohit Manocha, chairman of the board and co-founder of TriArtisan Capital Advisors, will be assuming Blanchette’s responsibilities in the interim. The TGI Fridays executive team will report directly to Manocha. Blanchette led TGI Fridays for the past 5 years, managing the company through a successful turnaround that included both national and global growth as well as through the turbulent impacts around the COVID-19 pandemic. TriArtisan is the lead investor in TGI Fridays with extensive holdings in the …
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Atlanta — Krystal Restaurants LLC, the original home of the slider in the South, has hired seasoned restaurant and hospitality leader Jermaine Walker is its new vice president of operations. The legacy brand has been undergoing aggressive growth plans, having opened its first international location last year and continues on this trajectory with a new restaurant that opened in Alabama last month and more on the way. “I am honored to join Krystal and be part of their expansion efforts,” says Walker. “I’ve spent my career supporting companies in their …
Dallas — TGI Fridays plans the development of 75 new restaurants throughout South and Southeast Asia over the next 10 years in partnership with Master Franchisor Universal Success Enterprises. The deal, which is expected to drive over $500 million in revenue for the U.S.-based company over 10 years, is the most significant development agreement to date for the brand. This latest development deal is core to TGI Fridays’ strategic global expansion strategy — as growth of the casual restaurant category internationally continues to thrive. The brand currently has 385 franchised …
Dallas — Smoothie King has appointed Chris Bremer as its new chief development officer. He will be responsible for implementing strategies to meet Smoothie King’s ongoing expansion plans and overseeing the franchise development, real estate, design and construction departments. He joins Smoothie King from Nothing Bundt Cakes. “We are thrilled to welcome Chris Bremer to our executive leadership team,” says Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King. “Chris is an exemplary, purposeful leader, possessing a passion for leading teams in the food & beverage and hospitality industries and will undoubtedly make …