News

Mr. Goodcents, Grandy's parent each name new CEO

July 12, 2010

Two regional chains — sandwich brand Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas and chicken brand Grandy's — have named new chief executives this week, each pulling in strong industry leaders to grow the different brands.

Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas will now be led by Dave Goebel, former president and CEO of casual dining chain Applebee’s International. Joe Bisogno, founder and chairman of Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas, says that Goebel, a Mr. Goodcents franchisee, will serve as the new president and CEO of the company.

Goebel's plans for the brand are two-fold: first, to refresh and reinvigorate the brand and, second, to quickly accelerate unit growth by repositioning the brand as an attractive multiunit franchise opportunity. Today, most franchisees own and operate only one or two units.

Plans are already underway to update the brand, including the addition of flatbread pizza to the menu, announced in March. Goebel said he intends to maintain the core of the brand — fresh deli-sliced meat served on bread baked fresh on-site — while focusing on introducing new menu items, updating the restaurant design, improving customer service and enhancing technology.

"Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas is a great brand with lots of blue sky ahead," Goebel said in a news release. "While many segments of the restaurant industry are getting clobbered, our consumer research shows Mr. Goodcents continues to score high marks for quality, freshness and value. In this economy, it doesn’t get any better than that."

Goebel's 30-plus years of restaurant experience has prepared him well for his new role. During his seven years with Applebee's International, Goebel demonstrated a unique ability to go hands-on to understand the business, assess the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and then to set the strategy to quickly grow and develop the brand. Under Goebel's leadership, Applebee's grew to more than 2,000 units, with annual revenues exceeding $4 billion.

Prior to Applebee's, Goebel was president of Summit Management Inc., a start-up company providing strategic planning and executive development to growth organizations.

Before Summit Management, Goebel's entrepreneurial instincts led him to build his own company, Finest Foodservice LLC, an area developer/franchisee of Boston Market restaurants. In six years, Goebel opened 75 Boston Market restaurants across seven states.

"I've worn both hats — franchisee and franchisor," Goebel said. "But this — being both at the same time — is unique and ideal. I understand that the relationship between franchisee and franchisor is truly symbiotic — for one to grow and flourish, the other must grow and flourish. And my goal as president and CEO is to ensure both happen, quickly."

Bisogno will remain chairman of the board and focus on his passion — building the best technology platform in the business for Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas and its franchisees. In 1989, Bisogno opened the first Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas in Lenexa, Kan. The company now has 99 units in nine states and has been named a Top 500 franchise company for 11 years by Entrepreneur Magazine.

"Mr. Goodcents is perfectly positioned for nationwide expansion," Goebel said. "We have excellent franchisee opportunities in all 50 states for entrepreneurs who want to meet consumers’ demands for healthy options and quality food at a great value."

Souper Salad, Grandy's

At Souper Salad Inc., parent company of fast casual Souper Salad and quick-service Grandy's restaurants, Ward Olgreen will move from COO to president and CEO, following the retirement of former CEO Tim Taft.

"We thank Tim for his many contributions over the last two years," said Tom Taylor, chairman of Souper Salad Inc. "Tim successfully led the company during a difficult time in the restaurant industry, as evidenced by improvements in our sales and guest traffic in May of this year. First and foremost, he developed a strong management team that remains intact, providing a complete and orderly transition of leadership."

The company also welcomes Olgreen's "unique blend of experience, particularly in the areas of operations and franchise development, as we continue an aggressive path toward franchising both Souper Salad and Grandy's," Taylor said.

Olgreen, with more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, joined Souper Salad Inc. as its COO in 2008. Prior to that, he spent 17 years with Dallas-based Pizza Inn in a variety of leadership positions, including senior vice president of worldwide franchising and vice president of operations.

"Our work is well underway," said Olgreen. "With our financial partners, suppliers, and support center team, we will continue to accomplish our goals through a shared mission to work smart, stay relevant, and never forget that this is all about delivering a quality product to our loyal customers."

Dallas-based Souper Salad Inc. is owned by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners. The company currently operates 147 locations in 17 states, including 77 company-owned stores and 70 franchise-owned and -operated stores under its Souper Brands system. In 2009, Grandy's kicked off a reimaging campaign and franchise sales campaign to grow the 68-unit chain.