Dive Brief:
- Nothing Bundt Cakes has appointed Chris Tarrant as its chief development officer, the company announced Thursday.
- Tarrant most recently served as SVP of retail store development and design at Starbucks, where he was responsible for store development in the U.S. and Canada.
- As CDO, Tarrant will oversee development and growth at Nothing Bundt Cakes, which signed a record number of development deals in 2022.
Dive Insight:
With 147 commitments signed last year to open new bakeries, Nothing Bundt Cakes is rapidly expanding. This year, it expects to exceed this deal count and sign over 200 commitments in new and existing markets. Nothing Bundt Cakes currently has about 500 bakeries open in the U.S. and Canada. Its development has accelerated under Roark Capital, which bought the chain in 2021, when Nothing Bundt Cakes had about 390 locations.
"Our franchisees opened over 50 bakeries last year and expect to open more than 100 in 2023, so Chris is joining the team at a pivotal point as Nothing Bundt Cakes continues down its path of intentional growth,” Nothing Bundt Cakes interim CEO Sarah Spiegel said in a press release.
In addition to his recent position at Starbucks, Tarrant served on the leadership team overseeing operations at the coffee chain’s stores in the U.S. His past positions include roles at McDonald’s and Panera, and he has extensive real estate experience, per the press release. Tarrant succeeds Chris Bremer, who left the company last year to become CDO of Smoothie King.
