Blaze Pizza announced the appointment of Jaime Denney as the company’s new Chief Operations Officer. Denney joins Blaze with more than 25 years of leadership experience in operations across some of the nation’s top restaurant brands.
Most recently, Denney served as Vice President of Franchise Operations at Scooter’s Coffee, where she oversaw more than 840 franchised locations and $720 million in system sales. Under her leadership, the brand opened over 300 new units in just two years, enhanced drive-thru performance, and implemented scalable systems that drove a 9.1% year-over-year increase in topline sales.
“Jaime brings a rare combination of strategic vision and hands-on operational expertise,” said Beto Guajardo, CEO of Blaze Pizza. “Her ability to build systems that scale, strengthen franchise relationships, and improve performance at every level of the business makes her an ideal fit for Blaze as we expand across the east coast. We’re thrilled to welcome her to our leadership team.”
Denney’s experience also includes leading the operational turnaround of Jamba as Vice President of Operations and a 14-year tenure at Starbucks, where she rose to Director of Business and Operations. There, she led one of the most profitable regions in the company’s history and authored Starbucks’ first Drive-Thru Operations Manual.
As COO, Denney will be responsible for overseeing both company and franchise operations, with a focus on improving speed, profitability, and hospitality systemwide. Based in Atlanta, she has already begun working closely with Blaze’s executive and field teams to accelerate progress on strategic priorities.
“I’m excited to join a brand with such passionate franchisees, strong culinary roots, and bold growth ambitions,” said Denney. “Blaze has all the ingredients to lead in the fast-casual space, and I look forward to partnering with the team to deliver a best-in-class guest and operator experience.”
