What better way to start your morning than with news of two newly appointed foodservice experts? FAT Brands has announced the promotion of Jenn Johnston to the role of Chief Marketing Officer, following which Allison Lauenstein and David Pear will assume Brand President roles.
Johnston has held the role of President of the Quick-Service Division at FAT Brands since the acquisition of Global Franchise Group in July 2021. In this role, she oversaw popular brands such as Round Table Pizza, Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, and Pretzelmaker.
As Johnston takes on her new role, Lauenstein will optimize her expertise as Brand President.
Lauenstein will serve as Brand President of Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, and Pretzelmaker, bringing over a decade of experience working with the respective brands. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President of Brand Operations and Marketing at Global Franchise Group. Prior to joining Global Franchise Group, Ms. Lauenstein spent 13 years at Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins Brands in various leadership positions.
With over 20 years of strategic and operational restaurant leadership experience, Pear is also taking over the Brand President role, overseeing Round Table Pizza.
Pear most recently served as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Desert De Oro Foods, a multi-unit franchise organization with 360 restaurants, a press release explained. During his time as Senior Vice President of Operations at Del Taco, he played a key role in consistently increasing same-store sales and driving overall unit growth.
Pear’s depth of experience is also strengthened by his time at Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell and Domino’s Pizza.
“As FAT Brands continues to evolve and grow, we saw an opportunity to expand Jenn’s role to impact the larger organization,” said Thayer Wiederhorn, Chief Operating Officer. “Her unique marketing and operations background will enable us to develop impactful campaigns that increase brand visibility and drive profitable sales across our 17 concepts. We are also pleased to welcome Allison and David to the team. Allison has a great track record with Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, and Pretzelmaker. We expect a seamless integration into her new role and immediate value to the brands. On the other hand, David brings exciting insights from his outside experience, which we also expect will bring immediate results. We are fortunate to have them both join our talented management team.”
Congratulations to all three leaders!
