Veteran sales executive will help lead the rapidly expanding charcuterie franchise as it grows national brand recognition.
Graze Craze, a leading franchise within the graze-style food category, has hired dynamic sales veteran Ryan Papillo as its new Director of National Accounts. Papillo’s appointment comes at a time of rapid growth for Graze Craze, which is at the forefront of the booming food trend known as “grazing.” Charcuterie and graze-style dining has become increasingly popular at gatherings and social events of all sizes.
Reporting to Graze Craze President Cory Hibbard, Papillo will be responsible for continuing to develop a national accounts program aimed to generate business opportunities for new and existing franchise locations. Graze Craze has already landed several national accounts, making substantial progress toward increasing franchise value and national brand recognition.
“We’re excited to welcome Ryan at this pivotal time for Graze Craze,” Hibbard said. “As we prepare to break out as a leading national brand in a top dining category, Ryan was the perfect choice to lead us there.”
Papillo brings extensive experience in top-level sales positions for national and regional brands. Known for regularly hitting multimillion-dollar sales quotas, he is adept at building technical platforms and creating new revenue channels to improve profitability and grow topline revenue.
“I’m proud to join Graze Craze, one of the most innovative and creative concepts in any space,” Papillo said. “They took a perennial dining style that was seeing unprecedented demand and built it into a powerful brand. I look forward to building on the groundwork that’s already been laid so successfully.”
Graze Craze is among the first concepts to successfully scale charcuterie into a proven franchise model and has quickly become the leader in the space, which is booming with demand and opportunity. The National Restaurant Association’s 2023 What’s Hot forecast lists charcuterie as one of the top 10 dining trends and the No. 1 appetizer choice. U.S. sales of charcuterie meats and snacks topped $950 million in 2020 and continue to grow at about 10% per year.
Since launching its franchise program in 2021, Graze Craze has grown to 36 locations in 20 states, with 24 new locations coming soon and expansion to two new states – Arkansas and Virginia – expected before the end of the year.
Graze Craze is a member of the Starpoint Brands family of trusted companies, a division of United Franchise Group (UFG), representing the very best in its industry and the mark of quality for customers, providing the ultimate in service, reliability, and value.
Graze Craze is the leading franchise within the grazing style food category, offering an alternative experience to traditional dining options and catering for every occasion. At Graze Craze, in-store Grazologists curate hand-crafted, impeccably designed, sweet and savory charcuterie boards and picnic boxes made with the highest quality ingredients and arranged with perfection. Growing from a concept founded by a woman entrepreneur and US Air Force veteran, Graze Craze is now among the Starpoint Brands constellation of trusted companies representing the very best in their industries. For more information about Graze Craze locations, menu, and commercial accounts visit www.GrazeCraze.com. For information on franchising opportunities, visit www.GrazeCrazeFranchise.com.
A family of trusted brands representing the very best in their industries, including retail, food & beverage and professional services, Starpoint Brands is the mark of quality for customers. It brings together a constellation of brands within United Franchise Group (UFG), including Signarama, Fully Promoted®, Transworld Business Advisors, Venture X, Office Evolution, Network Lead Exchange, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Graze Craze. A brand under the Starpoint Brands division is one that business-to-consumer and business-to-business customers can be sure will provide the ultimate in service, reliability, and value.
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