Oklahoma-Based Healthy Lifestyle Eatery Brings on New Executive to Implement Local Market Training and Operational Excellence
Coolgreens, the healthy lifestyle eatery committed to providing the highest quality, fresh and natural dining experience, is excited to announce the addition of Amanda Powell to its ever-growing team. This news is coming off of the recent announcement of the brand’s new Vice President of Operations, Todd Madlener and building on this operations-focused momentum, Coolgreens brought on Powell as the new Director of Operations and Training to ensure all franchisees are able to open and operate smoothly in their local markets.
Powell attended Kansas State University and studied hotel restaurant management. She has been in the restaurant industry for more than twenty years, most notably with Red Lobster as the Regional Training Manager and General Manager at the location in Abilene, Texas. Under her leadership, Powell was able to help propel the restaurant from #93 in the system to #8. From Red Lobster, Powell moved to other fast casual concepts like SPIN! Pizza out of Kansas City, Missouri, where she developed a training program and opened restaurants in Orange County, California, and then to Modern Market based in Denver, Colorado where she developed a team in Dallas, Texas and ran six restaurants. When an opportunity with Coolgreens was presented, Powell knew it was the perfect fit.
“Developing operations and training processes to ensure restaurants are on the same page, being consistent and have a solid structure is what I love to do and is exactly what Coolgreens was looking for in someone to fit this role,” said Powell. “There’s such a unique opportunity with Coolgreens to get in with a brand at the ground-level and be a part of its growth from the beginning.”
Coolgreens was founded in 2009 when Oklahoma City based attorney Tom Wolfe was training for a marathon and began searching for restaurants serving healthier but still delicious options in his hometown. Recognizing an opportunity to turn those options into a healthy down-the-line concept, Wolfe contacted several local restaurateurs and the concept of Coolgreens was born. Soon after the brand was introduced to the market, now CEO Robert Lee noticed the unique offering because of his own dietary restrictions. At most restaurants in the market dining out had proven to be impossible – but not at Coolgreens, which offered a down-the-line option with fresh and natural foods. After his initial introduction to the brand in 2009, Lee quickly became involved in building it to the next level, taking over as CEO in 2014. Lee worked to highlight the brand’s positive qualities as it grew quickly across the Oklahoma City metro area, doubling unit numbers from 2012 to 2014. In 2017, Lee launched a franchise offering to give food-centric entrepreneurs the opportunity to bring the health-centric restaurant to markets across the nation, led by a simple and proven model.
“We have mastered simple operations that puts our natural ingredients on the forefront,” said Lee. “Franchisees don’t need extensive restaurant experience in order to replicate the success that we have seen in Oklahoma City. They just have to follow the same mission and model that surrounds the idea of fueling their local community with fresh and natural food.”
With Powell on board, the Coolgreens leadership team is excited to support new and existing franchisees as they look to open the first franchised locations across the nation. From training to operations, signing to opening, franchisees will be supported every step of the way to ensure success in their investment.
“As we lay the groundwork for years ahead, it is so important to make sure we have the right leadership and support backing our franchisees as they enter our emerging system,” said Lee. “We know Amanda will be a great addition to our team and she will help our franchisees grow and succeed in markets across the country. By staying true to our roots and commitment to our unique offering, we have an incredible opportunity and look forward to what the rest of the year has in store for us.”
Coolgreens, a down-the-line fresh, naturally sourced food concept, offers build-your own salads, wraps, bowls, flatbreads, and more all through a chef-curated menu. The menu highlights limitless combinations of fresh lettuce, vegetables sliced fresh in-store each day, house-made toppings, dressings made from scratch, and options for all dietary needs, including gluten free, carb free, and low fat. Founded in 2009 in Oklahoma City, the brand quickly grew to seven corporate-owned locations, before launching its first franchise offering in mid-2017. For more information please visit http://www.coolgreens.com.
