In its quest to continue to raise the bar and support its explosive growth, Milkshake Concepts announced the additions of Bryan McVay as CFO, and Matt Smith as CMO to its executive leadership team.
“Continuing to add the best talent is vital as we strive to scale our brands nationally, and bringing in Bryan and Matt is a crucial step to help us achieve this,” says Milkshake Concepts Co-Founder and CEO Imran Sheikh. “Not only do they both bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in the hospitality industry, but they are also two genuine cultural fits who will help push Milkshake to new heights.”
McVay comes to Milkshake with 10 years of experience, most recently with Front Burner Society and its collection of nationally recognized restaurant brands, such as Velvet Taco, Mexican Sugar, Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines and many more. With expertise in cash management and financial analysis, McVay’s strategic skills and dedication to the financial success of his brands are unrivaled.
McVay’s duties include overseeing the financial obligations across Milkshake’s portfolio, as well as heading up all financial strategy across the brands. He will ensure that each restaurant concept is efficiently tracking cashflow, optimizing financial planning, analyzing the portfolio’s strengths and weaknesses, and proposing corrective actions.
Smith joins Milkshake after previously serving as the CMO of The Madera Group, which included fast-casual Tocaya Organica and the high-energy fine-dining concept, Toca Madera. Following Tocaya’s combination with Tender Greens, Smith joined their newly formed holding company – One Table Restaurant Brands – where he also served as Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing all marketing operations.
Armed with eight years of experience in restaurant marketing, Smith will now oversee marketing efforts across all Milkshake Concepts brands and will facilitate all growth, sales and marketing strategies within its diverse and expanding portfolio. He will also spearhead activations and initiatives to enhance brand awareness while driving the ideation of new concepts.
McVay and Smith join Sheikh, co-founder and COO James Faller, VP of Operations Tommy Hamilton and Director of Culinary, Rodman Shields, to round out the senior leadership team. Together they plan to build on the huge success Milkshake Concepts has already achieved and the experiential hospitality group has announced six new restaurant openings this year, with an additional five confirmed for 2024 and even more in the pipeline moving forward.
