Dive Brief:
- Woworks appointed Cole Thompson to the newly created role of vice president of culinary for Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek and Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina on July 18, the company announced Tuesday.
- Katie Cavuto, currently the executive chef at several Woworks brands, will transition to VP of culinary for Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Zoup Eatery.
- These roles were created to improve menu innovation and use of fresh ingredients, Woworks CEO Kelly Roddy said.
Dive Insight:
These latest appointments are part of Woworks’ push to bolster its leadership team as it focuses on accelerating growth, especially now that it has six brands under its portfolio. In May, the company bought Zoup and Barberitos. In June, it expanded its C-suite with two chief brand officer roles and two VP of marketing positions to manage three brands each, divided along the same lines as Thompson and Cavuto’s brand responsibilities. Woworks also brought on a new chief development officer, chief people and culture officer and CIO earlier this year.
As part of its growth, the company will continue to offer seasonal LTOs, which Thompson could have a hand in developing. Thompson, a classically trained chef with more than 15 years in the industry, will oversee culinary research and development and operations for his brands. Thompson most recently served as corporate executive chef at RaceTrac. He also has experience with fine dining and fast casual brands, as well as with culinary research and development, according to the release.
Woworks expects to have over 400 restaurants by the end of the year across its six brands, so an effective upper management team will help support new and existing stores. More development opportunities exist as well, since the company is franchising in 49 states, according to the press release.
