Moe’s Southwest Grill announced this week the promotion of Mike Smith from vice president of operations to chief brand officer. Smith had served in his previous role at the Atlanta-based GoTo Foods company since 2022, where he led all aspects of operational strategy, including driving profitability and ensuring brand consistency.
“As a leader, it is always a privilege to be able to watch someone grow in their career and promote them into a new role where they can make a significant impact on the business,” Shelley Harris, restaurant category president at Atlanta-based GoTo Foods, said in a statement. “Mike excels at operating in a franchisee-first mindset while implementing operational improvements to enhance guest experience and brand performance.”
Before joining Moe’s, Smith held multiple leadership positions at Taziki’s Mediterranean Café. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer for the brand for nearly two and a half years. There, he helped lead growth of the brand from just over 40 locations in 2016 to more than 100 locations by 2022. Before that, he worked at Hooter’s, where he had multiple roles, including vice president of operations.
In total, Smith has more than two decades of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries. In his new role at Moe’s, Smith will be focused on operational excellence and growth.
“By managing the brand with this laser focus on profitable operations, Moe’s has unlimited runway as we head into 2025 and beyond,” Harris said.
Moe’s Southwest Grill currently has 600 locations.
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