WaBa Grill Names Andrew Kim President & CEO
WaBa Grill, one of the nation’s leading healthy rice bowl chains, is proud to announce the promotion of Andrew Kim to President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Kim brings with him over 30 years of franchise law experience, having extensively represented both sides of the franchisor-franchisee relationship domestic and abroad, and is also one of a small number of attorneys recognized as Certified Legal Specialists in Franchise and Distribution Law by the California Board of Legal Specialization. This news follows hot on the heels of WaBa Grill announcing that 2020 was the brand’s best sales year ever, beating out 2019 which held the previous record, and already enjoying double-digit sales growth in 2021 as compared to the same pre-pandemic period last year.
Additional promotions include Mark Finnegan to Chief Marketing and Information Officer, formerly Vice President of Marketing and Technology, Renny Freet to Chief Organizational and Human Resources Officer, formerly Senior Vice President of Operations Services and Training, and Afshin Compani to Chief Restaurant and Development Officer, formerly Vice President of Franchise Operations.
Kim has been closely involved with WaBa Grill since its founding in 2006 as its outside legal advisor, representing and counseling the brand on corporate legal and franchise matters. He then joined WaBa Grill corporate as its Chief Legal Officer in 2018, overseeing business and legal affairs with an emphasis on restructuring and reorganizing the company. Now as President and CEO, Kim will leverage his long history with the brand, as well as his longstanding experience as a franchise attorney, to lead WaBa Grill in its next phase of growth. This will include strengthening franchisee support and guidance, nurturing relationships with the company’s dedicated team members, and building meaningful connections with guests in every community WaBa serves.
For 15 years, WaBa Grill has been serving its rice bowls, plates and salads made with fresh vegetables, healthy grains and proteins including fresh, never frozen chicken, marinated ribeye steak, wild-caught salmon, jumbo shrimp and organic tofu, all prepared to order on an open-fire grill and customized with a variety of sauces. Along with takeout and curbside pickup, guests may place orders via the WaBa Rewards App for always low-cost delivery along with any of WaBa’s third-party delivery partners, DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats and Postmates.