Customized beverage brand welcomes the former Sysco, Costa Vida executive amidst unprecedented growth
Swig, Home of the Original Dirty Soda, has welcomed Geoffrey Alter as its Director of Supply Chain. This pivotal hire comes as Swig experiences exponential growth with both corporate stores and newly-announced multi-unit franchising.
Alter comes to Swig with more than two decades in the food and beverage industry. After working as a chef at high-end French and Mediterranean restaurants, he joined Sysco — the world’s largest food distributor — where he served as both a regional and district sales manager for more than three years. Most recently, he excelled at Costa Vida, where he worked for more than a decade as executive chef, supply chain director, and safety director.
“I chose Swig because of the people. It is a brand with an incredible upside for growth, but none of that matters without the people — and Swig’s team is phenomenal,” said Geoffrey Alter, who lives in Utah with his wife and three kids. “I am thrilled to join this amazing company and utilize 20-plus years of experience in cooking, sourcing, and food safety to create the best possible experience for our teams and customers. My philosophy has always been to anticipate and deliver customers’ needs before they even know they need them.”
Alter’s impeccable record shined during the Covid-19 pandemic, where at Costa Vida he led the Risk Response team and expertly managed supply chain difficulties. His leadership will be put to good use at Swig, which is expanding across the country with plans to open more than 25 corporate stores in 2023 and has multi-unit franchising contracts well underway. Swig was acquired by The Larry H. Miller Company in November 2022 and will also expand with a Swig experience at Megaplex theaters.
“We are thrilled to be able to add such tenured Supply Chain experience to our existing bench of exceptional talent,” said Rian McCartan, CEO of Swig. “With multi-unit franchising growing at full speed, Geoff’s contributions and leadership will be instrumental in expanding our supply chain and product development.”
Swig, Home of the Original Dirty Soda, is one of the fastest-growing and most successful drink brands in the country. It got its start in 2010 in Saint George, Utah. Owner and Founder Nicole Tanner was brainstorming one night about possible business ideas and came up with the idea for a drive-by customized beverage shop. From that small beginning, Swig has expanded to nearly 50 stores in five states, becoming thousands of people’s go-to destination for drinks and sweets.
Savory Fund is an innovative private equity firm that combines over $700 million in assets under management with a growth playbook and expertise that has been developed over 15 years of operating in the restaurant industry. Savory partners with high-potential, profitable, emerging restaurant brands, to deliver financial capital, industry expertise, growth and revenue opportunities, profitability enhancements and new location development. The Savory team contributes directly to all aspects of growth and replication by using a proven playbook and methodology. Founder involvement in the expansion of a brand is a central theme of the Savory approach as founders carry the tribal knowledge around the uniqueness that has energized early success and is essential to future growth. The Savory Fund has invested in 10 brands: Swig, R&R BBQ, Pincho, Via 313 Pizzeria, The Crack Shack, Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food, 86 Repairs, Saigon Hustle, Hash Kitchen, and The Sicilian Butcher. For more information, visit SavoryFund.com.
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