Dive Brief:
- GoTo Foods has appointed Brett Ubl as chief financial officer and Francisco Bram as chief growth officer and announced expanded operational roles for three other senior leaders, the company said Thursday in a press release.
- Ubl previously worked at Roark Capital where he supported the financial operations of restaurant and franchising businesses.
- The appointments come almost three months after the restaurant holding company hired Omer Gajial as its CEO.
Dive Insight:
The new executives will help GoTo Foods accelerate growth, boost unit-level economics, scale its enterprise capabilities within digital and off-premise and improve operational efficiency, according to a press release.
The company, which owns a suite of brands including Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and McAlister’s Deli, expects additional expansion in the years ahead. Last year, it secured franchise commitments to add 1,400 new units globally, per a separate press release. This year, GoTo Foods plans to enhance the personalization of its loyalty programs and leverage artificial intelligence to support customers, franchisees and its long-term system health.
“These executive leadership appointments mark a pivotal step forward as GoTo Foods enters the next chapter of growth and transformation for its seven iconic foodservice brands,” Gajial said in a statement. “With clear strategic priorities in place, GoTo Foods is positioned to drive greater demand, deliver operational ease, and provide sustained value for both franchisees and customers throughout 2026 and beyond.”
Ubl brings significant restaurant finance experience from his prior positions, which included over nine years at Roark Capital where he specialised in financial, operational and capital market strategies, including acquisitions and debt financing across concepts like Subway, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins. He has also been on Subway’s board of directors. Prior to Roark, he worked as an analyst at Baird for over two years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In his new role, Ubl will oversee finance, accounting and corporate strategy, as well as drive “stronger operating discipline, analytics and unit-level economics to support scalable, profitable growth,” the press release said.
Bram has extensive experience in brand strategy, digital marketing and business development and has worked at Chewy, Albertsons and Uber Eats. As chief growth officer, he will oversee demand generation and customer growth capabilities such as loyalty, personalization, customer insights and social media. He will also focus on creating scalable, measurable programs that help boost repeat visits and drive strong customer lifetime value, the company said.
GoTo Foods executives with expanded roles
Mike Freeman, executive vice president of brands, adds oversight of culinary and strategic operations in addition to leading Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Scholotzky’s Deli.
Urvi Patel, senior vice president of brands and chief brand officer for Cinnabon, will continue to lead Cinnabon and Carvel with additional responsibilities for the company’s co-brand business and growth strategy.
Chris McNutt, chief supply chain officer, will continue to lead supply chain, while partnering with brand leadership to improve execution and franchisee support.
