Veggie Grill has named Steve Heeley, formerly chief executive of Earl of Sandwich, it first chief operating officer.
Heeley will help support Santa Monica, Calif.-based Veggie Grill’s continued growth beyond the West Coast.
The fast-casual, meat-free concept has 26 locations, mostly in California, but also in Washington and Oregon.
Heeley was most recently president and CEO of Orlando, Fla.-based Earl of Sandwich, where he helped that chain reach 30-percent annualized growth worldwide over the past two years.
Prior to that, he held executive positions at Au Bon Pain, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, the latter of which Greg Dollarhyde, Veggie Grill’s chief executive, once led.
“I’m excited for Steve’s addition to our Veggie Grill team, as he is a successful operator who will lead and support our continued growth trajectory,” said Dollarhyde in a statement. “Steve and I have built a company together before and I know him to be a solid leader with high integrity and deep, relevant experience.”
Earl of Sandwich did not respond to questions about Heeley’s potential replacement by press time.
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