QSR June 2022

YOUNG LEADERS

franchisees stayed safe as they opened stores. “With so many transforma tions occurring in the industry, I believe there will be incredible opportunities to intertwine tech nology with brand strategy to help increase operational efficiencies, and provide every guest with their own personalized customer expe rience,” Gilson says. Rush Bowls has roughly 35 stores in 19 states. TAYLOR Fischer DIRECTOR OF MARKETING FOR FAST CASUAL DIVISION FAT BRANDS AGE: 31 Taylor Fischer, responsible Brands’ name, refused to let mac roeconomic factors disrupt her marketing efforts. Weeks before an LTO launch at Johnny Rockets, she was forced to pivot twice due to supply chain and labor shortages. Rather than put the innovation on hold, she went to the test kitchen and helped formulate the Cinna mon Toast Crunch Shake and Trix Shake for National Cereal Day. The desserts have outperformed many of the top flavors at the restaurant. Additionally, while Fatburger became one of the first chains to introduce Impossible chicken nug gets, Johnny Rockets, acquired by Fat Brands in late 2020, had no immediate plans to do so. In a matter of months, Fischer and her team changed that. “Coming out of the pandemic as a marketer, I think it is imper ative for the industry as a whole to focus on reinvigorating rela tionships with our guests and ensuring that the perceived value of our restaurants is stronger than ever,” Fischer says. “While we found touchpoints to commu nicate with our guests during the height of the pandemic, there is nothing stronger than the in-res taurant social connection.” for Fatburger, Johnny Rock ets, Elevation Burger, and Yalla Med iterranean under the FAT

spearheaded a number of inno vative marketing campaigns. Most recently, Moore led Noodles’ TRUFF Mac initiative, which was the brand’s first-ever partnership with a CPG brand. That campaign, which launched last year, received more than 194 million impressions across various channels, making it one of Noodles’ most success ful campaigns in the company’s KLVWRU\ b “I’ve always believed that the best moments in life hap pen around the table,” she says. “Growing up, Noodles was one of those tables for me. I grew up dining on Buttered Noodles after dance practices and eating Wis consin mac and cheese with my grandparents on the weekends. And now I am privileged to share that table not only with my kids, but also with thousands of team members and millions of team members through my role.” MARCO Reznick CEO RUSTIKA CAFÉ AND BAKERY AGE: 28 In his role as ing this year. But long before he was leading the brand from the top, Reznick worked on the ground level of the restaurant, which his mother, pastry chef Francis Reznick, IRXQGHG LQ b “The best part of my day is being able to work with my family and serve our community through Rustika Café and Bakery,” Reznick VD\V b Specializing in both European and Latin American baked goods, Rustika has become a celebrated staple in the greater Houston area, with its cafes serving every thing from breakfast crepes and empanadas to its renowned cakes, which have previously been voted the city’s best by the +RXVWRQ 3UHVV b chief executive, Marco Reznick has helped grow Rustika Café and Bakery from a single loca tion to four, with a fifth open

KELLY Cooke CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER SALSARITA’S FRESH MEXICAN GRILL AGE: 31 Kelly Cooke

BROOKE Perry VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING ORIGINAL CHOPSHOP AND BELLAGREEN #)' Ǿ

started as a mar keting manager at Charlotte, North Carolina– based Salsarita’s in 2015. Since, she’s been instru mental in many

of the brand’s biggest initiatives, including developing its drive-thru, launching a proprietary app, and rebranding from Salsarita’s Fresh &DQWLQD WR 6DOVDULWD̵ V 0H[LFDQ *ULOO b Last year, Cooke was promoted to CMO after having helped navigate the company through the tumult of the pandemic. “The best part about my job is the relationship with our fran chisees,” she says. “I love being someone they reach out to in confidence when they have a challenge to overcome or just want to hear my thoughts. There is nothing better than hearing from a franchisee that the mar keting initiatives you put in place helped him/her increase sales.” Cooke has also been involved in partnering with charitable causes. She helped reinstate Sal sarita’s partnership with No Kid Hungry five years ago, which has since raised more than $50,000 through the restaurants’ donation FDPSDLJQV b DANIELLE Moore DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS NOODLES & COMPANY AGE: 34 Before joining Noodles & Com pany in late 2016, Danielle Moore

Over her four-year tenure, Brooke Perry has played a significant role in shaping the brand identities of Original ChopShop and bellagreen, two better-for-you fast casuals, which have a combined 25 units. Among her accomplishments at the sister brands, Perry has helped optimize the Chops app and loyalty program, which led to 37 percent of 2021 orders being placed by loyalty PHPEHUV b “At Original ChopShop and UHVXOWV DUHbGULYHQ E\bRXU VWHDG fast commitment to building the brands while also doing right by RXUbJXHVWV DQG WHDP PHPEHUV ̹ 3HUU\ VD\V b̸ 2XU EHVW GD\V DUH VWLOO very much ahead.” With a boost from Perry’s vari ous marketing initiatives, Original ChopShop reached record annual sales in 2021 ($36 million) and $2.4 million AUV, all while dealing with supply chain and pandemic UHODWHG SUHVVXUHV b ALISON Satriana EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT TERIYAKI MADNESS AGE: 32 EHOODJUHHQ b,̵ P VXUURXQGHG E\ WRS QRWFK WDOHQW bDQG RXU

After starting out as an office coor dinator, Alison Satriana worked her way up to executive director of development at Teriyaki Mad ness as the brand

had cut her teeth at one of the big gest names in fast casual— Chipotle—as a

communications manager. She brought those learnings to her new company, where she has

FAT BRANDS, SALSARITA’S MEXICAN GRILL, NOODLES & COMPANY, RUSTIKA CAFÉ AND BAKERY, ORIGINAL CHOPSHOP AND BELLAGREEN, TERIYAKI MADNESS

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JUNE 2022 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com