Zoës Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant offering fresh and wholesome Mediterranean-inspired dishes hand-prepared daily, today announced the promotion of Kevin Miles to Chief Executive Officer. Formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, Miles’ promotion is effective immediately.
“Kevin’s abilities as a leader have been evident since he joined Zoës Kitchen. His extensive experience in the fast-casual industry has allowed for the implementation of unique strategies and the creation of internal teams that have consistently delivered industry-leading results,” said Rahul Aggarwal, Managing Director at Brentwood Associates, Zoës Kitchen’s lead investor. Chairman of the Board, Greg Dollarhyde added, “I have worked with Kevin for years and he is the ideal leader to develop the strategies and drive the aggressive growth plans of Zoës going forward. We are all very excited about the future of our team and the company with Kevin at the helm.”
In his role as CEO, Miles will oversee all aspects of Zoës Kitchen’s strategy, including driving brand development, operations, and a high growth restaurant development plan. He will leverage close to 20 years of fast-casual industry experience to help the company continue to achieve exceptional growth through same store sales and new unit development. He will also spearhead long-term efforts focused on raising widespread awareness on the benefits of better-for-you meal options as well as bringing the Mediterranean cuisine and lifestyle mainstream.
“From shining the spotlight on the Mediterranean lifestyle to ensuring we only use high-quality, fresh and wholesome ingredients, Zoës Kitchen offers a number of unique points of difference that speak to the brand’s potential within the rapidly growing fast-casual category,” said Miles. “I plan to draw upon my experience in this space and the talent of our dynamic team to tackle the challenges and opportunities we’ll face as we remain focused on growth and build a brand that changes the landscape of the fast casual segment.”
Miles joined Zoës Kitchen in 2009 as Executive Vice President of Operations and was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in 2011. A true veteran of the industry, Miles has led the charge for operations teams across a variety of fast-casual concepts, including La Madeleine French Bakery and Café, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill and Pollo Campero. Miles received a bachelor of science degree from Texas A&M University.
Founded in 1995, Zoës Kitchen is a fast-casual restaurant that creates homemade Mediterranean-inspired food designed to help you celebrate life with family and friends through providing authentic, better-for-you recipes that are hand-prepared daily with wholesome, close-to-the-garden ingredients and a side of Southern hospitality. Zoës Kitchen is dedicated to delivering delicious, fresh and convenient in-store and takeout meal solutions that allow families to get out of the kitchen and enjoy more time together. All Zoës Kitchen recipes are made using good, honest ingredients that are chemical-free, as well as fresh, never frozen poultry. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are also available. Zoës Kitchen has 68 locations in 12 states across the U.S.
Brentwood Associates is a leading consumer-focused private equity investment firm with over $650 million of capital under management and a thirty-year history of investing in leading middle-market growth companies. Brentwood focuses on investments in growing businesses where it is able to leverage its extensive experience in areas such as: branded consumer products; consumer services; direct marketing, including direct mail and e-commerce; education; health and wellness; restaurants; and specialty retail. Since 1984, Brentwood’s dedicated private equity team has invested in 41 portfolio companies with an aggregate transaction value of over $5 billion. With significant experience in both investing and brand building, Brentwood is a value-added partner with entrepreneurs and executives building world-class companies.
