Friendly’s Ice Cream, LLC announced that Steven C. Weigel, a seasoned restaurant executive who most recently served as COO of Tom’s Urban 24, has joined the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
In his role as COO at Tom’s Urban 24, Weigel was responsible for strategy, building brand awareness, determining market opportunities, increasing market share, and establishing procedures and operating systems that successfully increased sales, profit, and operational performance improvements. Prior to joining Tom’s Urban 24, Weigel was Senior Vice President at Smashburger in Denver, CO where he was in charge of restaurant operations. Weigel has over 20 years of experience with Red Lobster, a Darden Restaurants Inc. concept. During his tenure, he spearheaded efforts to build sales and manage costs throughout the successful brand turnaround process. His focus was on developing a strong operations team that revolutionized Red Lobster’s standard operating procedures and restaurant design.
“I am so pleased Steve has joined Friendly’s. His focus and past success on increasing sales and improving guest service will serve Friendly’s well, said John Maguire, President and Chief Executive Officer of Friendly’s. “Steve’s experience in casual dining will be extremely helpful to us as we continue to reposition our brand.”
Weigel studied at Florida State University and he and his family will relocate to Massachusetts.
Friendly’s Ice Cream, LLC is a vertically integrated restaurant company, with an iconic brand name, serving signature sandwiches, burgers and ice cream desserts in a friendly, family environment. Together with its broad franchisee base, the company has system-wide sales of over $550 million and distribution through over 7,500 retail locations. For 78 years, Friendly’s restaurants and dedicated service teams have delighted generations of guests. For the future, Friendly’s has plans for new food and ice cream products, enhanced buildings, and new service channels.
