Noodles & Company has named former Schlotzsky’s chief marketing officer Mark Mears executive vice president and CMO of the fast-casual noodles chain, effective July 20. Mears will replace Dan Fogarty, former executive vice president of marketing, who stepped down in March for personal reasons.
Mears had been CMO at Schlotzsky’s since January 2014, prior to which he served as president and chief concept officer at the Mimi’s Cafe casual-dining concept and as CMO of The Cheesecake Factory, overseeing branding efforts for The Cheesecake Factory’s sister brands, Grand Lux Cafe and Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen.
In his new role, Mears will report directly to Noodles & Company CEO Kevin Reddy.
"We believe (Mark’s) leadership will be an invaluable asset for Noodles as we continue on our growth path," Reddy said in a statement. "His insight, deep industry knowledge and proven ability to achieve results through disciplined execution will help us elevate our brand, drive awareness and position ourselves for future success."
Last week, Noodles & Company announced that its president and chief operating officer, Keith Kinsey, would step down in July to become CEO at Portillo’s Hot Dogs.
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