Le Duff America Inc., owner of Bruegger’s Bagels, announced that Miguel Fernandez will join the Burlington, Vermont–based company in the newly created role of chief operating officer.
As COO, Fernandez will be responsible for executing the company’s strategic vision in conjunction with the brand leadership team. In particular, Fernandez will focus on strengthening corporate and bakery-level teams and maintaining continued operational excellence.
“Miguel brings a remarkable combination of expertise to our team,” says Le Duff America co-CEO, Claude Bergeron. “His drive and eye for detail deliver bottom-line business results, but he is also a master at developing the people capabilities of a system, which is a key function for Bruegger’s Bagels’ overall strategy.”
Fernandez was most recently executive vice president and chief operating officer for Apple Metro Inc., a franchisee for Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar in Manhattan and the New York metropolitan area and the highest-volume restaurants in the system. His leadership resulted in the franchisee’s winning Applebee’s Operator of the Year in 2012 and back-to-back Franchisee of the Year awards in 2009-2010. Prior to his franchise experience, Fernandez was with Applebee’s corporate, most recently as vice president of international operations.
Fernandez will be based in Burlington at Bruegger’s Bagels’ home office, with significant travel throughout the country to oversee the brand’s 300-plus company-owned and franchised bakery locations.
