Yogurtland, the leading self-serve frozen yogurt brand, announces the addition of franchise industry veteran David Kahn as Senior Director of Franchise Development. David joins the brand’s team of senior function leaders as the company looks to accelerate its expansion across key domestic and international markets.
“We are thrilled to welcome David, a seasoned restaurant and franchise executive, to Yogurtland and are confident that he and our team of function leaders in operations, marketing, and research and development will drive us to achieve our next inflection of growth,” says Phillip Chang, the founder and CEO of Yogurtland.
The company also announced that Sam Yoon will step away from his day-to-day role as President to join a non-profit foundation, and more deeply support a ministry he and his wife have supported for many years. Yoon will remain as an Advisor to the senior leadership team including Founders Phillip and Michelle Chang. During Yoon’s tenure with Yogurtland, he set in place key initiatives that proved critical to the company’s growth including reformulating the brand’s strategy, redesigning its structure, and establishing systems for increased efficiency and effectiveness that bucked the general trend in the restaurant industry.
“Ministry service has always been a priority to me and my wife, as well as to Phillip and Michelle, which was one of the main reasons I was initially drawn to Yogurtland,” says Yoon. “I am grateful to them for supporting me through this decision, and I look forward to continuing to advise the leadership team as they introduce Yogurtland to new fans across the country and the world.”
Moving forward, senior function leaders will report directly to CEO Phillip Chang. Each individual brings unique experience, expertise, and proven execution capabilities to best position Yogurtland to achieve its ambitious growth goals for the coming years.
- David Kahn joins Yogurtland as Head of Franchise Development, leveraging his more than 35 years of experience working with national brands as both a franchisor and franchisee to provide insightful and actionable leadership. He has particular expertise in real estate and development, as well as with multi-unit growth, and has a keen understanding of the market landscape, including pricing trends, competitor strengths and weaknesses, and changing guest demands.
- Senior Director of Operations Gary Hunter possesses a wide range of restaurant industry experience, with proven results from his skills in the areas of operational and financial performance, strategic planning, brand management, and multi-unit management.
- Brittany Knollmiller serves as Head of Marketing & eCommerce to differentiate the Yogurtland brand through impactful marketing, strategy, creative, and tactical efforts, leading with a digital-first approach. She has fueled the brand’s transformational identity and unlocked new revenue streams through digital channels and catering.
- Director of Research and Development Nirupama Nigam leads the strategic product development and quality assurance at Yogurtland. Her background in dairy science provides the perfect foundation for her passion of product innovation and research that she has been pursuing for more than 15 years. She has been instrumental in building robust systems and processes, and leading a dynamic team responsible for creating more than 200 amazing flavors for Yogurtland.
- Irene Noyola serves as the Associate Head of Operations, supporting Gary to lead the Operations team. Irene brings years of experience working in the restaurant and franchise industries. She is responsible for managing the operations, compliance, and profitability of restaurant units and works directly with the franchisees to drive their success.
