John Konyn has been named chief operations officer of Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food. Konyn has been with the brand since 2010, when it had just two locations. Now, there are 55 stores across seven states.
Konyn most recently served as vice president of operations, leading training and developing team members to take on general manager, district manager, and district operations roles. When COVID hit in 2020, he led the team through continued same-store sales and unit growth. The company said he has also been instrumental in improving food cost performance, which directly increased EBITDA from the mid-teens to mid-20%.
“John’s ability to adapt, learn, grow, and hone his leadership skills has seen him rise through our growth ladder from team member to now COO,” chief executive officer Rob Ertmann said in a statement. “John has a passion for Mo’ Bettahs, a commitment to our culture, and, most importantly, a love for our teams in the restaurants who serve up Aloha to our guests daily. We wouldn’t be where we are today without him, and he is perfectly suited to lead our operations as we continue to grow our national footprint.”
Mo’ Bettahs was founded in 2008 by Hawaii-born brothers Kimo and Kalani Mack. In 2017, the fast casual brand was acquired by Savory Fund, a private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant concepts.
“What I love most about working for Mo’ Bettahs is that we are creating opportunities for our team as we grow,” Konyn said in a statement. “I was drawn to Mo’ Bettahs because of the team and culture that pushed me to challenge myself and constantly improve. As we grow, we have the opportunity to mentor future leadership of the brand and the industry. We have something special here, and I can’t wait for what’s coming next.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
