Schlotzsky’s, home of the round-toasted sandwich, announced the addition of industry veteran Brian Farris as the new vice president of catering and off-premise sales. Farris brings 25 years of financial and operational experience in the restaurant industry, having worked with well-known brands such as Quiznos and Boston Market.
In his new position, Farris will lead the strategic direction of Schlotzsky’s new off-premise sales and catering department that will aim to fuel sales growth for corporate and franchise locations.
“In recognizing the opportunity for catering to accelerate Schlotzsky’s overall sales, we felt it was necessary to find a strong leader to support the growth that off-premise sales and catering would provide,” says Kelly Roddy, president of Schlotzsky’s. “We are excited to have Brian as part of the Schlotzsky’s team and expect his leadership qualities, operational expertise, and strategic vision will complement our brand’s national growth.”
Before joining Schlotzsky’s, Farris served as chief operating officer of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge since its inception in 2010, developing the professional cycling race to be recognized world-wide. Prior to that, Farris held the position of senior vice president of operations services, where he was responsible for all corporate operations functions including operations excellence, learning and development, platform, and guest experience and insights. Earlier in his career, Farris spent 11 years with the Boston Market Corporation, where after holding executive positions in finance and operations, he most notably lead the overall development and growth of off-premise sales through catering and holiday banquet businesses, resulting in continued annual sales increases for the company.
The addition of Farris’ role and the catering division to the company comes on the heels of a successful year for Schlotzsky’s. With more than 350 corporate and franchise locations worldwide and more than 50 in the pipeline, the company is continuing to expand across the country.
