GARDEN FRESH RESTAURANT CORP. NAMES TWO NEW SENIOR EXECUTIVES
Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. Names Two New Senior Executives
Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes’ parent taps David A. Carr as CFO and
Julie L. Derry as CMO as part of revitalization strategy
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – September 22, 2014 – Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. today announced that David A. Carr and Julie L. Derry are joining the company as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, respectively. Mr. Carr previously served as Vice President of Finance for Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., while Ms. Derry headed Digital Commerce at See’s Candies.
The senior executive additions are the latest in a series of bold, strategic initiatives for the resurgent fresh salad, soup and bakery specialists. Recently, the company has enhanced flavors and variety throughout its fresh, wholesome menu, revamped several restaurants with a new, contemporary look, and revitalized its marketing strategy with its new Discover Fresh™ initiative. In the coming months, guests will discover the company’s passion and commitment to farm-fresh food served within hours of harvest and made-from-scratch soups and bakery through radio advertising, store events and promotions. In addition, the company is evolving its guest-centric strategy to deliver relevant content and offers to its online Club Veg™ loyalty member base.
“It’s fresh and exciting times at Garden Fresh,” said John Morberg, CEO of Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. “These two outstanding individuals are the perfect fit for our culture and revitalized strategic direction. Their talent and experience will infuse new energy into our leadership team as we begin to tell our irresistible brand story, work to refresh our restaurants and improve experiences for our guests.”
During a 15-year career with San Diego-based Petco, Mr. Carr served in a variety of leadership positions, including his most recent role as VP of Finance handling financial duties for the company’s fast growing Unleashed by Petco brand. He was a founding member of the strategy and innovation team that developed the successful brand, which has grown to more than 100 stores and is the company’s leading growth vehicle. Earlier positions with the company include VP of Financial Planning and Analysis, as well as roles in strategic planning, merchandise planning, technology and investor relations. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Financial Advisory Services Consulting Group. Mr. Carr earned an M.B.A. degree from Georgetown University and Oxford University, and undergraduate and master’s degrees from Penn State University.
Ms. Derry is an experienced marketing executive who most recently directed e-commerce, mobile and digital marketing for San Francisco-based See’s Candies. Prior to that she served as VP of Digital Experience at Guitar Center, Inc., where she introduced a customer-centric, data driven mindset leveraging primary and secondary research for designing and delivering optimal customer experiences. Before joining Guitar Center, Ms. Derry spent seven years leading and contributing to e-commerce and omni-channel efforts at Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), the outdoor gear and apparel retailer based in Seattle, WA. A graduate of Southern Oregon University with both an M.B.A. and a B.S. in Management, Ms. Derry is no stranger to the restaurant business. She began her career as a restaurant manager with brands including TGI Friday’s, Taco Bell and Wendy’s.
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