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Dive Brief:

• Swig has promoted Todd Smith to president, the company said in a Tuesday press release. The dirty soda chain also appointed Shannon Swenson as chief of franchise partnerships. 
• The company said the appointments will support its ramp up of nationwide growth for both company-owned and franchised locations. 
• Swig has over 120 locations and launched franchising in 2023, signing 250 commitments in six months.

Dive Insight:

Swig has a significant pipeline, with 500 franchised units committed as of 2024. The new appointments will help support the opening of these units. Smith joined the company in January as chief commercial officer and oversaw supply chain operations, real estate acquisitions and restaurant construction in that role. As president, he will help drive the chain’s expansion,  including by finding prime locations to build new company-owned locations, the press release said. He will also work alongside Swenson to launch a robust franchising program across the U.S.

While the company has been franchising for a few years, it hadn’t actively recruited operators, according to QSR Magazine. The creation of a specific franchise department will help the chain to actively sell and provide more support beyond helping franchisees open stores and meet their commitments.

Swenson has nearly two decades of franchising experience, according to her LinkedIn profile. She spent the past six years at Dave’s Hot Chicken, during that chain’s rapid expansion. As senior vice president of franchise development, she helped scale the brand to 360 units globally and reach over 1,400 franchise commitments, per the press release. She has also worked at Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill, Twin Peaks and Images 4 Kids Franchising Corporation, according to LinkedIn.

In her new role, Swenson will create a franchising strategy that will help the company build upon its 124-unit storebase and expand into new markets. 

Smith previously told QSR Magazine that he expects the chain to have 54% unit growth this year and reach nearly 150 open shops. He said that Swig could have thousands more units in the future. 

Swig is targeting experienced operators that own and operate at least 10 or more QSR or fast casual franchised restaurants in a market area of interest, according to its franchising website. The operators also need to have strong operational metrics, including four-star online reviews across its existing portfolio and positive franchisor references. 

Swig expects its operators to develop a minimum of 10 locations with the ability to build two to three stores per year. The company prefers freestanding or end-cap drive-thru locations that are ideally 870 square feet.