News Briefs

Papa John’s International Inc. announced the appointment of Jenna Bromberg to Chief Marketing Officer, effective Nov. 14. A recognized industry expert known for transformative brand campaigns and deep consumer insights, Bromberg brings a unique blend of quick-service restaurant and modern retail marketing expertise to the role.

“Jenna’s track record of building strong brands and driving innovative marketing campaigns makes her the ideal leader to help take the Papa Johns brand into its next chapter,” said Todd Penegor, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Her proven ability to connect with modern consumers combined with her deep understanding of the restaurant industry, particularly her experience in the pizza segment, will be invaluable as we continue to expand our market presence.”

She joins Papa Johns from Carter's Inc., where she served as Vice President of Brand Marketing & Creative, successfully leading multiple brands through the pandemic period and launching several groundbreaking marketing campaigns. Her return to the pizza industry marks a full-circle moment, building on her previous experience as Director of Core Brand Marketing at Pizza Hut.

Papa Johns previous CMO Mark Shambura is now the CMO at Panera Bread. 

he will lead the company’s marketing strategy, brand development, digital customer experience and creative initiatives, including elevating the brand among current and new audiences through data-driven campaigns, and overseeing the product innovation pipeline to provide consumers with great new products and menu offerings.

Bromberg will report to Penegor and serve on the Papa Johns Executive Leadership Team.

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

Dave’s Hot Chicken has partnered with Ovation, the guest experience platform for restaurants that starts with a 2-question survey to drive revenue, streamline guest recovery and easily improve operations.

Through this partnership, Dave’s Hot Chicken will leverage Ovation’s innovative guest experience and feedback platform to enhance guest satisfaction and gain real-time insights into customer experiences across its rapidly growing network of locations. This collaboration underscores the brand’s commitment to delivering not only delicious food but also exceptional service. Ovation’s platform will help Dave’s Hot Chicken seamlessly capture guest feedback, operationalize change across their hundreds of locations, recover at-risk customers, and boost its reputation even further as it continues its expansion into new markets​.

“As a brand that prides itself on creating a memorable guest experience, partnering with Ovation was a natural fit,” said Jim Bitticks, President and COO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Ovation’s intuitive platform will help us maintain our high standards of service as we grow, allowing us to stay connected with our fans and deliver the outstanding service they expect from Dave’s Hot Chicken.”

Dave’s Hot Chicken uses Ovation to gather significantly more feedback facilitated by integrations with solutions like the online ordering platform, Olo, and strategically positioned QR codes for both on and off-premises occasions. From there, happy guests drive revenue through gift card purchases, reviews, and catering orders. Unhappy guests are placed into a private conversation with management, who can resolve issues easily through AI-powered responses.

Early results are promising for this partnership. In the first weeks since roll out, Dave’s Hot Chicken has received over 15,000 surveys, 400 saved customers, and a 14% increase in Yelp reviews.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe announced that Max Wetzel, a restaurant industry leader with a proven track record driving growth and innovation at some of the most iconic quick service restaurant brands, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Wetzel succeeds Charles Watson, who is stepping down after more than 16 years with Tropical Smoothie Cafe, including the past six years as CEO. 

Wetzel brings decades of experience successfully growing global brands and highly franchised restaurant businesses. Most recently, Wetzel served as CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc., parent company of Carl's Jr.  and Hardee's, overseeing more than 3,700 restaurants across 40 countries and territories. Prior to CKE Restaurants, Mr. Wetzel served as Chief Operating Officer of Papa John's International, Inc., one of the largest franchisors of restaurants in the world. Throughout his career, his leadership has centered around creative initiatives, collaborative culture, and improved customer experience.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to join Tropical Smoothie Cafe at this exciting stage of our growth journey," said  Wetzel. "Tropical Smoothie Cafe's uniquely fun, tropical atmosphere, innovative, better-for-you menu and dedication to guests have solidified the Company as a nationally recognized leader in the fast casual industry. I am excited to join an organization with such a strong culture and commitment to 'Inspiring Better' in everything that we do. I look forward to working with our talented team to further support our franchisee community to showcase the Tropical Smoothie Cafe story and offer incredible experiences to more communities and guests every day."

Additionally, Tropical Smoothie Cafe announced that Roland C. Smith, a seasoned restaurant executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience, has joined its board of directors. Smith is an experienced senior executive with a consistent track record of growing leading restaurant, retail and consumer brands. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of both public and private companies, including Delhaize America, LLC, Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc., Wendy's International, Inc., Triarc Companies, Inc., and Office Depot, Inc. He has also served as Chairman of numerous boards, including 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc. and Carmike Cinemas, Inc., and additionally has served as a Director of Caliber, Inc. and Dunkin' Brands, Inc. Currently, Mr. Smith is Chairman of Jack's Family Restaurants and a Director of The Station Foundation.

Earlier this year, funds managed by Blackstone acquired Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This investment from Blackstone is intended to help accelerate Tropical Smoothie Cafe's already-rapid expansion through continued investments in menu innovation, operating excellence and best-in-class marketing.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe began operating as a single location on a beach in Destin, Florida, in 1997 and has grown into a nationally recognized brand with nearly 1,500 locations across 44 states. Since 2023 , Tropical Smoothie Cafe has opened more than 300 new locations, over 70 percent of which were opened by existing franchisees. 

TGI Fridays Inc. the owner and operator of 39 domestic restaurants in the  TGI Friday’s casual dining chain,  filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Northern District of Texas. The Company expects to use the time and legal protections made available through the Chapter 11 restructuring process to allow the Company to explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand.

The TGI Fridays brand and related intellectual property are owned by TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC as a result of a securitization agreement with a separate investor group. These entities are not included in the Chapter 11 process.

TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC has franchised the brand to 56 franchisees in 41 countries. All of these franchise locations, both domestic and international, are independently owned and therefore not included in TGI Fridays Inc.’s Chapter 11 process. They are open and serving customers as usual.

To ensure continuity of service to franchisees, TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC has negotiated a Transition Services Agreement (“TSA”) with – and provided interim funding to – TGI Fridays Inc. to maintain support services for franchisees while TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC works to implement a new long-term support structure.

In addition to supporting franchise restaurants, TGI Fridays Inc. maintains operations across its corporate- owned restaurants in the U.S. The Company has secured a commitment for debtor-in-possession financing to support operations while proceeding through the Chapter 11 process. It also filed motions with the Bankruptcy Court that, when approved, will allow the Company to, among other things, continue its customer programs in the normal course. These motions are typical of the Chapter 11 process and are expected to be heard and approved in the first days of the case.

"The next steps announced today are difficult but necessary actions to protect the best interests of our stakeholders, including our domestic and international franchisees and our valued team members around the world," said Rohit Manocha, Executive Chairman of TGI Fridays Inc. "The primary driver of our financial challenges resulted from COVID-19 and our capital structure. This restructuring will allow our go- forward restaurants to proceed with an optimized corporate infrastructure that enables them to reach their full potential."
 

A Look Back

TGI Fridays Inc.  is the latest brand to file voluntary Chapter 11 in 2024, including  Roti, Buca di Beppo, World of Beer, Melted Bar & Grill, Kuma's Corner and Tijuana Flats, to name a few. RL Investor Holdings LLC acquired the bankrupt Red Lobster restaurant chain in September.   

BurgerFi International, Inc., owner of the casual dining chain Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings and BurgerFi,  filed voluntary petitions for reorganization. On Oct. 31,  BurgerFi was sold out of bankruptcy to lender TREW Capital Management in a credit bid of $44 million.  TREW also purchased bankrupt Rubio's in August for $40 million.