Dive Brief:
- Brooklyn Dumpling Shop appointed Jeff Galletly as the company’s first CEO, the chain said in an email to Restaurant Dive.
- The fast casual chain, which was started by Stratis Morfogen, has 11 shops open and nine set to open this year or next, according to its website.
- The company, which started off in New York City, is rapidly expanding into new regions, and recently opened its first international store in Calgary, Canada as part of a 100-unit deal with a master franchisee in that country.
Dive Insight:
Galletly brings considerable experience with restaurant operations, marketing, development and private equity to this new role. He most recently served as vice president and general manager at Tim Hortons USA for over a year, according to his LinkedIn profile. Galletly, who was at Restaurant Brands International for over seven years, served in various positions throughout the corporation. Prior to RBI, he worked in various positions within private equity firms and also worked at PepsiCo.
As CEO, Galletly will be in charge of all areas of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop’s business, including overseeing operations at existing North American locations and managing growth and development, franchise expansion and menu innovation, according to the email.
The company has been rapidly growing over the past two years. It opened its first Texas location in 2023, in Dallas followed by a second location in Austin later that year. It also entered the Philadelphia market last year with two locations, and a third expected to open this spring, according to its website.
Brooklyn Dumpling Shop uses a contactless ordering system in which customers order from their smartphones. When orders are ready, customers receive a text message directing them to pick up their food from a temperature-controlled locker. The locker opens automatically when the customer scans a barcode.
