Franchise Industry Veteran Joins Healthy Eatery to Take Franchise Development Game to the Next Level
Coolgreens, a healthy lifestyle eatery that focuses on providing fresh and high-quality food, is thrilled to announce Mark Ramage will be joining the leadership team as the company’s new Vice President of Franchise Development. Ramage will bring nearly 20 years of franchising experience to the healthy eating brand.
Ramage experienced his initial entrance into the restaurant sector when he joined The Findley Group in 2006, and worked with one of franchising’s most well-known players, Gary Findley. In 2009, Ramage entered the food franchising sector with a position at Red Mango. At Red Mango, Ramage was responsible for the brand’s national growth and development in 12 states. In his first year at Red Mango, Ramage helped the brand sell 36 units. From Red Mango, Ramage went to work in the fast-casual sector by taking a leadership position at Pie Five Pizza as their director of development and was later promoted to vice president of franchise development. His accomplishments at Pie Five Pizza included awarding and signing 38 new franchise area developments for more than 530 restaurants in just over three years. In 2016, Ramage went to Smash Burger, where he was the head of franchise development and sales, and in October of 2017 he joined the team at Wing Stop. At Wing Stop, Ramage signed 36 locations in the fourth quarter of 2017 and 79 locations in 2018, which included the brand’s first casino location.
“Throughout the past two decades I’ve been able to gain incredible experience in both the franchise and food industries,” said Ramage. “I love being a part of the development journey. Laying out markets, developing a strategy and then implementing that strategy. It has been so rewarding to be a part of the development journey and I look forward to the next step in my career.”
Ramage discovered Coolgreens through a LinkedIn post and reached out to a recruiter to learn more about the development opportunity. He fell in love with the Coolgreens concept, an emerging lifestyle eatery that is making its mark in the franchising world, and was sold on the concept and opportunity after speaking with Coolgreens’ leadership team including: CEO Robert Lee, Vice President of Operations Todd Madlener and Director of Operations and Training Amanda Powell.
“I immediately could tell that they were real, and transparent,” Ramage said. “Robert is forward-thinking and open to ideas. This is the next generation of franchisors and franchisees. I began to build a digital footprint at Pie Five because it’s more forward-thinking, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do at Coolgreens. Prospective customers and franchisees will see the brand show up in places where they haven’t shown up before.”
Coolgreens launched its first franchise agreement in 2017 and the brand has aggressive growth goals for 2019. With an initial investment of $296,732 to $482,600, Coolgreens is targeting entrepreneurial-minded sophisticated restaurant operators to expand the brand in key markets across the United States. In early-2019, Coolgreens will be opening its first batch of franchised locations throughout Oklahoma and Texas in markets including: Tulsa, Dallas, Southlake and Plano. Building on this growth momentum, the brand is also planning large expansion into major markets including Miami, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; and San Diego, California, as well as markets including Austin, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Overall, Coolgreens has its sights set on opening 25 locations in 10 markets and is excited to partner with multi-unit franchisees and offer a business model centered around operational efficiency.
“Mark brings years of franchising experience, particularly food franchising experience, to the table, which is exactly what Coolgreens needs right now,” Lee said. “We are still a young brand and new to franchising and our main priority in 2019 is growth. We were thrilled to finally open up Coolgreens to franchising opportunities last year, and with Mark’s help, I know we will grow into a more competitive franchising enterprise.”
“We are aiming to sign at least five to 10 new franchisees in 2019 and open between 25 and 40 new locations,” Ramage said. “Finding the right fit will take some time, but we have a strong brand and an amazing product. And, we have the right leadership team supporting the franchise with more than 55 collective years of experience in restaurants and franchising. We are so excited for what the future holds for Coolgreens.”
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.
