QSR June 2022

YOUNG LEADERS

Ryan O’Keefe Senior Director, Franchise Sales FOCUS BRANDS AGE: 34 After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in busi ness management, Ryan O’Keefe returned to his home state of New York to start working for a startup company. Eventually, he realized his heart was in the hospitality

every block in Los Angeles, so the duo knew the market likely had an appetite for poke bowls, too. “We felt that poke was the next-generation of sushi, or sushi 2.0, because it combined all of the familiar flavors of sushi but the dish could be customizable, por table, and more accessible due to the lower price point,” Cohen says. Over the past seven years, the brand has expanded to 14 loca tions across L.A., Orange County, and San Diego. Corporate-owned locations are also on tap in Ari zona, Texas, and other states over WKH QH[W WKUHH \HDUV b EMILY Romme SENIOR BRAND MANAGER, SMASHBURGER AGE: 30

It! ad campaign wherein burger fans who “smashed” some goal, rewarded themselves with a burger. Scott Johnson, former VP of marketing for Smashburger, credits Romme as an integral part of Smashburger’s recent double digit sales growth after five years of declines. “Emily’s hard work ethic and strategic thinking skills shone during the pandemic as she con sistently steered Smashburger into positive directions for sales growth and overall brand aware ness,” Johnson says. SERGIO Perez SENIOR DIRECTOR OF As Bojangles’ senior director of omnichannel, Sergio Perez has constructed a digital experience that gives customers multiple ways to engage and order through a device. In 2021, he and his team rolled out a new mobile app and website to support order ahead and curbside pickup functions. The platform facilitates cou pon redemptions, favorite orders, mobile pay, and location informa tion. The customer experience was amplified even further with real time order status, personalized menu views, one-click ordering, and an upsell engine to fuel aver age check. Perez says the restaurant experience now transcends the OMNICHANNEL BOJANGLES AGE: 29

industry and made the leap to Focus Brands in 2017. In his first role at the company, O’Keefe oversaw the development of the Carvel brand in the Northeast and Flor ida markets. Since then, he’s taken on more responsibilities and now directs franchise sales in the Northeast for all seven brands under the Focus umbrella. He also helps manage Focus’ Southeast sales team. O’Keefe works with Focus’ existing franchise base and is constantly seeking prospective operators. In addition to finding new franchisees, O’Keefe is also the one to help them acclimate to the culture and operations at Focus—something that plays well to his strengths. “I’m a relationship person,” he says. “I’m service-oriented.” During the pandemic, O’Keefe added more responsi bilities to his plate. Instead of selling the brand to potential franchise partners, his attention was partially diverted to existing stores, which were struggling to stay open. “That EHFDPH WKH IRUHIURQW RI HYHU\WKLQJ , GLG LQ ̹ KH VD\V b Some of his new duties included educating partners about the various assistance programs and essential ser vices that could help their business weather the storm. “Those were some incredibly difficult times,” he says. “It was a very emotional rollercoaster for a lot of folks. All of our teams and departments were forced to make pretty quick adjustments at the drop of a dime, and I truly feel the orga nization did an exceptional job managing what we were able to control.” These efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Focus named him Chairperson of the Year in both 2020 and 2021, which is awarded to the top salesperson in the company. He says his accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without a strong foundation at Focus. “What I do on an individual basis comes with a lot of assistance, support, resources, and capabilities from other departments,” he says. “It’s a team effort.” Looking forward, O’Keefe says he is excited about the collaborative efforts between Focus’ seven brands. “We’re looking very closely at bringing another brand into the port folio, and that’s something we’re very excited about,” he adds. “I think the sky is the limit for us.”

When Emily Romme joined Smash burger in February 2020, she hit the ground running. After nearly three years running marketing and branding at Denver restaurant group, Lotus Concepts Man agement, Romme had already embedded herself in foodservice and used that knowledge to take the fast casual’s marketing to new heights. Early in the pandemic, she worked with internal and agency teams to launch the fundraising campaign, FeedtheFrontliners, which culminated in 30,000 hot meals for healthcare workers and first responders across 25 states. On the menu side, Romme managed the launch of the Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger, which was the chain’s first new item in two years. It also coin cided with the video Smashed

four walls and no longer begins and ends when a consumer vis

SMASHBURGER, BOJANGLES

FOCUS BRANDS

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JUNE 2022 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com