Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Names Kendall Ware President and COO

Orange Leaf said it named Kendall Ware as its new President and Chief Operating Officer. Ware, who has more than 10 years of franchise leadership experience and is a certified franchise executive through the IFA, most recently served as Vice President of Operations and Training for the Orange Leaf brand. In addition, he is a recent recipient of Oklahoma's 30 under 30 award. As President and COO, Ware will oversee strategic development, operational execution and brand growth.

"Those at Orange Leaf have seen Kendall's leadership and dedication firsthand over the last two years. Kendall has shown an immense drive and passion for Orange Leaf while leading operations and has proven that he is the best person to lead our franchisees and our team at the support center," said Executive Chairman, Reese Travis. "I am looking forward to watching him lead our brand into a brighter future."

During his first several weeks as President, Ware has been able to sit down with 50% of the franchise community to collaborate and identify opportunities for growth. This feedback, paired with results of a Franchise Satisfaction Survey and consumer research, will best determine a strategic plan for 2018 and beyond. Ware's top priority is to increase overall guest and franchise partner satisfaction.

"I'm honored to serve the Orange Leaf franchise system and looking forward to working alongside our partners to take the brand to the next level. Together, we will create a culture that develops and empowers the people of Orange Leaf, from the support center to franchise partners, where every team member is inspired to create value for every guest. I am incredibly optimistic about our future at Orange Leaf," said Ware.

Prior to his time at Orange Leaf, Ware developed his leadership experience at other franchised concepts such as CiCi's Pizza and Genghis Grill. During his tenure at CiCi's Pizza, Ware led training and operations initiatives to enhance product quality that resulted in an increase of guest satisfaction and same store sales growth for their nearly 500 restaurants. At Genghis Grill, Ware developed a comprehensive set of operating systems, processes and people that helped successfully grow their franchise from 7 locations to 100 within 4 years.