Dive Brief:
- OHG Brands has appointed Stephen England as chief operating officer, according to a press release, among other executive appointments.
- England has 30 years of restaurant experience, including roles at Subway and Dunkin’ Brands and Burger King, per his LinkedIn profile. He most recently served as senior vice president of operations at Subway for over six years.
- Streetlight Ventures, a restaurant operating and investment company founded by Anthony Ackil in 2019, will oversee OHG Brands, which was established as a remnant of Fat Brands earlier this year.
Dive Insight:
The new leadership at the company comes months after Fat Brands split up in a bankruptcy process that led to four separate sales totalling roughly $1 billion. The new organization, which includes Fatburger, Round Table Pizza and Johnny Rockets, is focused on “building a world-class franchise organization dedicated to continuous improvement and franchisee success,” the press release said.
Additional appointments include Kelly Hansen as chief marketing officer, Jose Ponce as chief of staff and head of human resources, and Artie Jones as general counsel. Hansen has over 20 years of restaurant marketing experience and has worked for brands like Raising Cane’s, Tavistock Restaurant Collection and Lemonade Restaurant Group. Ponce has over 15 years of HR experience and has worked at Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes. Jones previously worked at BJ’s Wholesale Club.
OHG is working to grow its 12 restaurant concepts throughout the country, particularly through co-branding. In October, Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery opened a unit in Tennessee, while Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express added a unit in Texas. Pretzelmaker added a unit in a Great Wolf Lodge location in California as well.
