QSR June 2023

YOUNG LEADERS

Casey COOLEY DIRECTOR OF FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT & REAL ESTATE JEREMIAH’S ITALIAN ICE AGE: 34

Casey Cooley has impacted Jeremiah’s Ital ian Ice’s franchising strategy from the very beginning. After joining Pivotal Growth Partners in 2019—a full-service growth and develop ment consultancy—he was assigned to Jeremiah’s and helped launch the brand’s franchise opportunity. Since that turning point, the brand has awarded

JEREMIAH’S ITALIAN ICE

more than 260 franchise units across more than 115 groups and has seen more than a 350 percent increase in new units in fewer than four years. “I think holistically dessert is having a re emergence—cookies, frozen treats, cakes, etc.,” Cooley says. “They are fun, colorful, family friendly, and approachable to most, if not all, demographics. I think virtual experience will cool off some, and people will look for those instances where fellowship and community can be facili tated and held-desserts have always been a part of that.” In 2020, Cooley and his real estate team iden tified 50-plus locations to open the following year by taking advantage of second-generation spaces that an operator could quickly convert. Although travel restrictions complicated site selections, Cooley leveraged relationships with national and local real estate brokers to ensure franchisee support. Jeremiah’s managed to open its first 10 franchise units in 2020. The chain dou bled that total in the first six months of 2021. By the end of that year, the company had 40 fran chise locations.

Taylor FISH DIRECTOR OF FRANCHISE MARKETING BAD ASS COFFEE OF HAWAII AGE: 28

PLAYA BOWLS / NOAH FECKS

Abby TAYLOR COFOUNDER AND CMO

As you might imagine for a fine artist by training who traveled the world to surf, a 9 to 5 gig was never going to cut it for Abby Taylor. A self-described “Jersey Shore girl,” Taylor and Rob Giuliani (also an avid surfer) came across myriad versions of superfruit acai and pitaya bowls during their travels. They decided to bring the category, which was hardly mainstream in 2014, to the Jersey

PLAYA BOWLS AGE: 32

Taylor Fish’s journey with Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii began during the height of the pan

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JUNE 2023 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com