Your Pie, the 10-year-old fast-casual pizza concept, has tapped the former CEO of Back Yard Burgers as the company’s first chief operating officer.
Dave McDougall, who left Back Yard Burgers in the spring, will oversee operations and marketing at Your Pie “with an emphasis on market research and new product development to help hone and strengthen the brand’s voice while fueling franchise growth,” the Athens, Ga.-based chain said.
Your Pie founder and president Drew French said McDougall steps into the newly created role as the chain, which has more than 60 units, looks to expand its national footprint. The build-your-own pizza brand, which hand tosses its dough and cooks pizza in a brick oven, has 50 more stores in development.
“Dave will help us to navigate high-volume growth while maintaining the unique experience that has always defined the Your Pie brand,” French said in a statement. “We look forward to increasing our current momentum under Dave’s leadership and are excited to see how his expertise will amplify our brand.”
McDougall has more than 30 years of experience in franchise operations and development. He led a turnaround at Back Yard Burgers after the chain emerged from bankruptcy. Previously, at Focus Brands, he led the marketing team during the international expansion of Cinnabon.
McDougall said he’ll be focused on laying the foundation for the brand’s next 10 years of success.
“I have always been passionate about the franchise model, and as chief operating officer, I plan to place tremendous focus on current franchisees and how we can best support them while maintaining steady growth,” he said in a statement.
Your Pie was founded in 2008, the same year as fast-casual pizza leader MOD Pizza. The crowded pizza segment is led by Bellevue, Wash. -based MOD and Pasadena, Calif.-based Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, which was founded four years after MOD and Your Pie. MOD and Blaze were the two fastest-growing restaurant brands in 2017, according to NRN’s Top 200 report.
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