Former Starbucks executive Doug Satzman has been named U.S. CEO of Le Pain Quotidien Bakery & Restaurant, overseeing the chain’s 87 domestic restaurants and three production facilities, the company said Thursday.
Satzman joins Le Pain Quotidien after 14 years with Starbucks Corp. Most recently, he was the coffeehouse operator's senior vice president of business development and license retail operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Satzman will replace Jack Moran in the role. Moran, who has been with the chain for 11 years, has been named head of global master franchise.
Satzman recently returned from a one-year sabbatical where he worked with young entrepreneurs and sponsored philanthropic projects in Rwanda.
As the U.S. CEO, Satzman is charged with elevating the company’s people culture, domestic expansion and tailoring the customer experience through technology and food innovation. The chain recently launched a new mobile app and integrated loyalty program, and plans to add new pay-at-the-table functionality in the spring, officials said.
Satzman will also spearhead a national move to “CO2-neutral” restaurants, designed to offset their carbon footprint, following a pilot program in the New York area, the company said.
Le Pain Quotidien’s 87 domestic units are located in the New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago metro areas. Eleven units opened in 2015, which was a record year for openings, and the chain recorded double-digit gains in revenue and profit, the company said.
Internationally, the chain has 238 locations in 18 countries, and is slated to move into the new market of Hong Kong this spring.
“Le Pain Quotidien’s success over the last 25 years comes from balancing innovation with integrity,” said Vincent Herbert, Le Pain Quotidien global CEO. “With a proven business philosophy that drives growth while protecting the core values of the brand, Doug will continue to make the bold decisions that have set Le Pain Quotidien apart.”
Satzman will relocate with his family from Amsterdam to New York, where Le Pain Quotidien’s U.S. operations are based. The chain was founded by Alain Coumont, who opened the first bakery and restaurant in Brussels, in 1990.
Correction: Jan. 21, 2016: An earlier version of this story misstated how long Jack Moran has been with Le Pain Quotidien. Le Pan Quotidien later told NRN that Moran has been with the company for 11 years, not eight.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout