Allison Lauenstein elevated to brand president of Great American Cookies, Marble Slab, Pretzelmaker; David Pear hired as brand president of Round Table Pizza
Fat Brands, franchisor of restaurant brands that include Johnny Rockets, Elevation Burger, Round Table Pizza, Great American Cookies, and Marble Slab Creamery, promoted Jenn Johnston to chief marketing officer (CMO). Previously, Johnston had served as president of the Quick-Service Division of the company. Consequently, Allison Lauenstein and David Pear will take brand president roles at Fat Brands.
Immediately, Lauenstein will begin serving as brand president of Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery and Pretzelmaker. She brings 10 years of experience working with these brands. Lauenstein previously held the position of executive vice president of brand operations and marketing at Global Franchise Group (GFG).
During her time as EVP, she rolled out the unlimited mix-ins platform at Marble Slab Creamery, the co-branded model of Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery, and the Fresh Twist menu concept for Pretzelmaker. Before joining the team at GFG, Lauenstein held leadership positions at Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins Brands for about 13 years.
“As Fat Brands continues to evolve and grow, we saw an opportunity to expand Jenn’s role to impact the larger organization,” said Thayer Wiederhorn, chief operating officer at Fat Brands. “Her unique marketing and operations background will enable us to develop impactful campaigns that increase brand visibility and drive profitable sales across our 17 concepts.
Plus, Fat Brands hired Pear, an industry veteran well-versed in strategic and operational restaurant leadership. He will assume the role of brand president at Round Table Pizza. Pear most recently served as vice president of strategic initiatives at Desert De Oro Foods, a 360-unit multi-unit franchisor. These included brands, like Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Whataburger, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, and Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Before Desert De Oro, Pear served as SVP of OPS at Del Taco. There, he worked with a team that ignited same-store-sales growth, generating overall unit growth. Pear also worked at Yum Brands and brings those experiences to Fat Brands.
Widerhorn added, “We are also pleased to welcome Allison and David to the team. Allison has a great track record with Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, and Pretzelmaker. We expect a seamless integration into her new role and immediate value to the brands. On the other hand, David brings exciting insights from his outside experience, which we also expect will bring immediate results. We are fortunate to have them both join our talented management team.”
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