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Auntie Anne’s and Jamba parent company Focus Brands names Brian Krause chief development officerAuntie Anne’s and Jamba parent company Focus Brands names Brian Krause chief development officer

Focus Brands, which also owns Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s, has also appointed Tim Muir as the company’s first chief sales officer

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

July 13, 2020

1 Min Read
Focus Brands logo
Focus Brands added two new executives to the team.Focus Brands

Joanna Fantozzi

Focus Brands — affiliate of Roark Capitol Group and parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s  — announced two new executive appointments Monday: Brian Krause as chief development officer and Tim Muir as the company’s first chief sales officer.

Krause — who joins the company from Inspire Brands, where he served as chief development officer and vice president for Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches — will be responsible for driving growth for the Focus Brands restaurant portfolio. Prior to working for Inspire Brands, which is also owned by Roark Capitol Group, he worked in various leadership positions at Wyndham Resorts and Hotels.

“Focus Brands is incredibly fortunate to have such tremendous talent to support our businesses,” Jim Holthouser, CEO of Focus Brands, said in a statement. “I'm confident Brian's strengths in franchise sales, strategy, policy making, and collaboration will be invaluable in driving our brands forward to further accelerate our growth.”

Krause will be replacing Muir, who served as the company’s first chief development officer, appointed in 2017. Prior to joining Focus Brands, Muir worked in leadership roles as Choice Hotels International and Wyndham Hotel Group. In his new role, Muir will focus on franchise sales and revenue growth.

“Tim’s success and leadership made him the obvious choice to trailblaze this new, critical function for us and I look forward to seeing the results of his high-performing sales team,” Holthouser said in a statement.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]  

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About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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