FOCUS Brands announced that it has hired John Reale as COO of FOCUS Brands International. The restaurant industry veteran will oversee global field operations and new business development for over 825 international Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon, Seattle's Best Coffee, Schlotzsky's, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Auntie Anne's locations in 50 countries.

"These are exciting times for our international team," says Mike Shattuck, FOCUS Brands International president. "John brings a tremendous amount of expertise and knowledge to our team, and his stellar reputation is well-known around the globe. With his guidance and the recent addition of the Auntie Anne's brand, we anticipate exponential growth for all our brands in the coming years."

Reale most recently served as president of global business for Brinker International, where he led all Brinker brands outside the U.S. with 217 locations and annual sales of more than $550M. In this role, Reale was responsible for the development of more than 100 restaurants in less than three years, doubling Brinker's international presence while improving profitability more than 60 percent. Prior to this role, he held the positions of interim president, COO, and regional vice president for Brinker's Romano's Macaroni Grill concept.

Before joining Brinker, Reale spent seven years with Carlson Restaurants Worldwide where he served as senior vice president of operations for Friday's International, in addition to holding executive roles with the company's Emerging Brands Division and Italianni's brand. During his time, Reale spearheaded the international development of T.G.I. Friday's through Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America and opened more than 100 restaurants in less than three years, making the international division larger than the U.S. domestic franchise division.