Dive Brief:
- SeoulSpice Korean Kitchen has hired four new executives, including two C-suite roles, as the fast casual brand prepares for broader expansion over the next few months, according to an emailed press release.
- The brand, backed by Invus Group, has hired Audra Huelsman Zahn to serve as president and chief operating officer; Pamela Haber as chief development officer; Hannah DePaulis as its vice president of marketing; and Felipe Martinez as its vice president of finance.
- SeoulSpice has grown from seven units in the Washington, D.C., metro area in March to now eight in that market, and has two stores in Chicago and more to follow.
Dive Insight:
Eric Shin, the brand’s CEO, said the new hires were intended to help SeoulSpice become a category-defining Asian fast casual brand.
Huelsman Zahn, the chain’s COO, comes to the brand with experience from Starbucks, Sephora, Estee Lauder Brands and Shake Shack, and will lead its operations and talent strategies. Huelsman Zahn served as a VP of operations at Shake Shack for two years and held a variety of operations roles at Starbucks over an 18-year tenure, per her LinkedIn profile.
Zahn most recently worked at La La Land Kind Cafe, a 24-unit cafe chain with a major social media following. At the cafe chain, she was COO and oversaw “enterprise wide systems and operational growth, and mission alignment,” according to the press release.
Haber, who will lead the brand’s development, spent nine years in real estate roles with Sweetgreen. During that time, the fast casual salad brand grew from 40 stores in 7 markets to more than 270 in 25 markets, according to the press release. SeoulSpice’s fast casual niche and its D.C. origins are similar to Sweetgreen’s, and its strategy so far has focused on building up brand presence in urban markets. Haber’s hiring could signal that SeoulSpice is likely to pursue a real estate strategy similar to Sweetgreen’s.
The brand also brought on a Chipotle vet to lead its marketing — DePaulis spent eight years in marketing roles at the fast casual giant, before moving to Capital Tacos, according to her LinkedIn profile.
SeoulSpice brought on another fast-growing brand veteran to lead its finance — Felipe Martinez joined the chain from Tatte, a bakery-cafe chain concentrated in Boston and the Washington, D.C., metro area.
The addition of C-suite and other executive leaders with significant experience in category-leading fast casual brands is a promising sign for SeoulSpice’s ability to grow beyond its home market, where it faces difficult market conditions. However, Invus Group has helped another D.C.-based fast casual scale from regional brand to national leader — Cava is a notable success story for the private equity firm.
