Foodservice and Marketing Veteran to Propel Catering Strategy for Leading Fast Casual Concept
Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it has appointed Barbara Blackwell as director of catering. In her new role, Blackwell will oversee the brand’s catering operations and spearhead initiatives to drive incremental catering sales and streamline operations across all 86 Chicken Salad Chick locations.
With nearly two decades of experience in the foodservice industry, Blackwell is an accomplished sales and marketing leader whose strategies have proven to increase revenue and catering sales during her tenure at various fast casual, quick service and fine dining concepts, including Corner Bakery Café, Arby’s and LeDuff America. Prior to Chicken Salad Chick, Blackwell served as director of catering for Bruegger’s Bagels, where she developed and managed catering sales strategies, marketing promotions, training and menu optimization for all corporate and franchised locations across North America. In addition to fueling Chicken Salad Chick’s catering excellence, Blackwell will also play an instrumental role in training the company’s corporate catering managers.
“Barbara brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Chicken Salad Chick and has already become a valuable asset to our brand,” said Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. “With Barbara’s catering and marketing expertise and proven track record, we’re confident that her skillset is exactly what we need to elevate our catering program and catapult our brand to the next level.”
The Chicken Salad Chick concept, born in Auburn, Ala., was established in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown. When Stacy discovered that the local county health department would not allow her to continue making and selling her delicious recipes out of her home kitchen, she overcame that obstacle by launching her first restaurant with the business expertise of her future husband and fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew; the company now has 86 restaurants across the Southeast.
For more information on the brand, visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.
Founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick’s robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Today, the brand has more than 86 restaurants in 9 states and is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick was recently named as one of FastCasual.com’s top Movers and Shakers and one of Nation’s Restaurant News 2017 Next 20 brands. The brand also ranked #37 on the 2016 Inc. list of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.
