Kendall Ware is joining Milagro’s Board of Directors. He is the company’s first external Board Member and will collaborate closely with the founder and executive team to help Milagro achieve its long-term strategies and goals.
Kendall Ware, 34, is the former president, Chief Brand Officer of Cinnabon and Carvel and was responsible for all elements of brand management for the two specialty brands and their 1,300-plus locations in North America, including strategic growth, innovation, franchise operations and marketing.
He has 17 years of leadership experience in growing brands, building strong teams, and improving operations as a strategic business and franchising leader. Each year, he speaks at various hospitality and franchise industry conferences as well as serving as an advisor for emerging brands. He has also invested in other brands as a franchisee along the way. This gives Kendall a unique perspective from both sides of the relationship that will help Milagro’s all-in-one technology platform deliver on the specific needs of a small business owner or an enterprise level organization.
Prior to being an executive at Focus Brands, leading their two most iconic brands, Ware at the age of 30 became the president and Chief Operating Officer of Orange Leaf, a 200+ location treat franchise with presence in 30 states, Australia, Dubai, and Mexico. Ware, along with members of his Orange Leaf leadership team, co-founded Humble Donut Co., a mini donut and craft coffee franchise that served as a co-brand solution to maximize revenue potential. To further maximize efficiency through shared services and increase overall valuation, Ware also acquired Old School Bagel and launched their first franchising program.
At Orange Leaf, his efforts helped the company turnaround a seven-year sales decline by achieving positive comp sales for two consecutive years, increased AUV and significantly improved franchisee satisfaction.
In late 2020, Ware initiated and led the sale of Orange Leaf and Humble Donut Co. to Brix Holdings/JAMCO Interests, the parent company of Red Mango, Smoothie Factory and Friendly’s.
“We are overjoyed to have such a young and visionary voice on our board. We strongly believe that the addition of such a forward-thinking leader and industry expert will enable Milagro to deliver on its mission to change the restaurant industry and revolutionize the way brands engage with their guests,” says Hamed Mazrouei, Founder & CEO of Milagro.