Dive Brief:
- Jim Holthouser, who served as GoTo Foods’ CEO since early 2020, will leave the company on Tuesday, according to a post from his LinkedIn profile.
- Holthouser joined GoTo Foods, then called Focus Brands, from the hotel industry and led the company through several major changes, including a shift in its branding — to GoTo Foods — meant to emphasize its value as a franchisor.
- The company has yet to share more information about Holthouser’s exit or possible transition plans.
Dive Insight:
Much of GoTo’s development under Holthouser focused on nontraditional or co-branded expansion, with Auntie Anne’s, for instance, targeting airport locations as a springboard toward streetside development. The company also created the dual-branded concept Cinnabon Swirl, a combination of Cinnabon and Carvel, that opened earlier this year in Oregon with a distinct brand identity and loyalty program.
The company started 2025 with significant growth potential. It signed 1,177 franchise agreements in 2024 — split between 578 domestic and 599 international units — setting itself up for a fourth-consecutive year of increased net unit growth, the chain said in March. Last year, GoTo Foods signed 353 co-branded deals across 173 locations in 24 states, with 49% in streetside locations.
Holthouser said he was humbled by his experience as CEO after he entered his post as a restaurant industry outsider. He brought experience in analytics, branding, franchising and development from the hotel industry, but had to quickly learn about finance, tech, legal and other aspects of the restaurant industry.
“We’ve transformed so much together — digitally, operationally, culturally — and we did it not by outspending our competitors, but by outhustling and outthinking them,” Holthouser said. “I’m proud of that.”
