The growing fast-casual restaurant brand taps two former Chipotle executives for its brand
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On Monday, Sweetgreen announced the appointment of Chad Brauze as its head of culinary and Michael Kotick as its VP, head of marketing. The fast-casual chain based out of Los Angeles is tapping these two executives to lead Sweetgreen into a new era.
“We are thrilled to have these two industry leaders join our team at such an exciting time for the company,” said Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman in a statement. “Over the past several months, we have introduced heartier menu options and launched our loyalty program, building on our industry-leading digital app. Their deep experience in menu innovation and marketing, combined with their passion for scaling businesses and pushing boundaries, will help us further our mission of connecting people to real food.”
Brauze comes to Sweetgreen after serving as senior director of culinary innovation and sustainability at Burger King, where he was primarily in charge of overseeing the core menu and LTOs. Prior to that, he was director of culinary and menu development at Chipotle Mexican Grill, where he launched Queso Blanco, Carne Asada and Brisket. He has also cooked in fine-dining kitchens such as at El Bulli, Per Se and Daniel.
Brauze will be responsible for overseeing Sweetgreen’s menu development and the innovation roadmap, and will report to co-founder and chief brand officer Nathanial Ru.
Kotick also joins the brand having worked at Chipotle. He most recently served as Chipotle’s senior director of marketing. There he was responsible for purpose-driven marketing through national campaigns, brand and sustainability actions, menu and product innovation, digital marketing, loyalty program growth, and in-restaurant experience. Prior to that, he served for eight years as an executive at Nestlé.
Sweetgreen currently has over 200 locations in the U.S.
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