Twenty-unit brewpub Iron Hill Brewery has a new CEO.
Chris Westcott, former chief executive for Rosa Mexicano Restaurants, will take the reins at the brand as it looks to expand in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
He fills a position that was vacated in March by Kim Boerema, who left the chain to become president of Hard Rock Cafe after about three years with Iron Hill.
Westcott has more than 30 years of restaurant experience, inclduing 23 years at McCormick & Schmick's, which he helped grow from eight units to 93. He later spent six years at Rosa Mexicano, a six-unit full-service concept with locations in New York and other Mid-Atlantic markets. He is also a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, a factor that was valued by Iron Hill.
"His culinary experience is impressive and complements Iron Hill's commitment to both traditional and innovative from scratch cooking," said Kevin Finn, Iron Hill's co-founder and acting CEO, in a statement.
In addition to its from-scratch menu, Iron Hill brews its beer on-site at each of its locations across Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Georgia. It has opened four new units during the pandemic, including a fast-casual concept in Exton, Pa., called Iron Hill Brewery TapHouse, which is attached to its first large-scale production brewery. Westcott is expected to help continue the chain's "aggressive" expansion strategy.
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