Maui Wowi Hawaiian has hired a franchise business manager with more than 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry to join the team at the franchise company’s Colorado headquarters. Jeff Lougee will take on the new role to offer increased support to franchisees and grow operations as part of Maui Wowi’s ongoing efforts to help individuals realize their dreams of business ownership.

“Jeff’s broad range of experience and knowledge of working with concepts like Maui Wowi brings a new dynamic and adds to the amount of support we are able to offer our franchisees,” says CEO Mike Weinberger. “With a solid team in place, we look forward to realizing a new level of success for the company and our franchisees.”

Lougee comes with an understanding of the business, as well as a connection with the Maui Wowi theme and company culture. Lougee grew up in Southern California where he was immersed in the surf scene and acquired a passion for the water. After attending college and earning a business degree in marketing and international management, Lougee began a career in the food and beverage industry. Soon after, he relocated to Hawaii and started working in operations with Marriott International, climbing his way up to director of food and beverage. He later took a position with Sodexo, where he spent nearly 11 years as a district manager and opened several national franchise brands.

Tapping into his working knowledge of the industry, Lougee is prepared to bring a new facet to the Maui Wowi franchise system. As franchise business manager at Maui Wowi, Lougee will be responsible for supporting the retail store locations and assisting franchisees with grand openings as well as day-to-day operations. He will also be helping the franchisee’s identify potential opportunities to grow their business and increase profitability.