My Fit Holdings LLC has named industry veteran David Goronkin as chief executive of the 80-unit prepared-meals My Fit Foods concept, the company said Wednesday.
Goronkin joined the Austin, Texas-based company from San Diego-based Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., parent to the Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes brands, where he served as chief executive.
A Garden Fresh spokeswoman said John Morberg, the company’s chief financial officer, was named interim CEO in the wake of Goronkin’s departure from the post he held since June 2012.
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At My Fit Foods, Goronkin succeeds founder Mario Mendias, who will remain with the company as chairman and senior adviser to the CEO.
“In just seven years, My Fit Foods has emerged as the largest player in the freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced, ready-to-eat segment,” Goronkin told Nation’s Restaurant News in an email. “The opportunities to grow our team and the brand are tremendous, and I'm excited to lead that growth.”
The first My Fit Foods opened in Houston in 2006, and has expanded to 80 units in five states since then, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.
In January 2013, private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners LLC invested in My Fit Foods, and now holds the majority interest in My Fit Holdings LLC, a company spokeswoman said.
My Fit Foods moved its headquarters to Austin in October 2013, tripling its office space, she said.
Goronkin said he sees My Fit Foods fitting well into the foodservice landscape.
“The fresh-prepared, ready-to-eat meal segment is a growing niche in foodservice, and My Fit Foods is clearly the leader here,” Goronkin said. “The My Fit Foods model is highly consumer-centric and focuses on things like convenience, good nutrition and great flavor. These are things we know today's consumer wants, and My Fit Foods is better positioned than any company to deliver on this.”
Goronkin, who has also held senior management positions at Real Mex Restaurants, Bennigan’s Franchising, Famous Dave’s of America and Buffet’s Inc., added that, “from operations and supply chain to brand development, all of my experience will come into play at My Fit Foods as I work to optimize brand performance and grow My Fit Foods responsibly.”
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