Caribou Coffee appoints first chief franchise officer

Walls will lead Caribou’s domestic and international franchising efforts as its first chief franchise officer, according to a press release sent to Restaurant Dive. Caribou has 273 franchised locations across nine countries, with a total of 732 units. After the merger of Caribou and Einstein Bagels with Panera Bread to form Panera Brands, the company added franchising to its U.S. system last fall. Prior to Panera’s rumored return to public markets, the brands were consolidated under one entity.

According to LinkedIn, Walls served as chief global development officer at CKE Restaurants from June 2021 to June 2022. Walls aided CKE’s brand transformation during this time with a “program focused on remodeling stores, incorporating new technology, and enhancing operations,” according to a press release. In addition, he held various operational, e-commerce, and logistics positions at Domino’s Pizza and Yum Brands.

John Butcher, the chief executive officer of Caribou, stated that Walls’ extensive experience in franchising and development qualified him for the new C-suite position.

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