Staffing
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard makes c-suite hires
February 14, 2025
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard has hired Lawrence Brown as CDO, while Carmela Hughley steps in as SVP of marketing insights and innovation, according to a press release.
Brown previously led franchising and development at Tide Services, a subsidiary of The Procter & Gamble Company, significantly expanding the Tide Cleaners and Tide Laundromats concepts. During his tenure at Restaurant Brands International, he played a pivotal role in driving Burger King's highest-ever five-year pipeline of 650 new openings and helped drive growth in South America. He has also held positions at Fat Tuesday, Tim Hortons and Barclays Investment Bank.
Brown will oversee Rita's franchise and real estate development, focusing on accelerating growth in key markets and optimizing operational efficiencies for franchisees.
"Rita's is an iconic brand with incredible potential for expansion," Brown said in the release. "I look forward to working with the team to grow our franchise presence, expand in the right locations and build a development strategy that keeps Rita's thriving for years to come."
Hughley has more than 25 years of leadership in marketing, operations and consumer brand strategy. Most recently, she led Madison Reed's expansion from three to 87 locations in three years.
She will oversee Rita's marketing strategy, customer insights and innovation initiatives.
"Rita's has an incredible legacy and a passionate customer base," Hughley said in the release. "By tapping into data-driven insights, we can make the customer experience even better, strengthen connections with our guests and drive long-term growth for the brand."
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard was founded in Bensalem, Pennsylvania in 1984 and now has more than 575 shops.
