HOA Brands, the franchisor and operator of Hooters and Hoots Wings, has appointed Michael Arrowsmith as the new chief development officer in a move to bolster growth and fuel rapid development.
Michael, who brings 25 years of experience developing companies and creating strategies that foster impressive growth, will oversee the domestic and international growth of the two brands.
He has held executive positions with franchise concepts such as Captain D’s, Denny’s, Diedrich Coffee and Checkers & Rally’s. Most recently he served as chief development officer for Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa but he now returns to the restaurant business with big plans.
In this new role, Michael will recruit franchisees, identify new real estate sites and manage development services such as building design, construction and facilities, in addition to brand standardization before the operations phase of the restaurants.
“Returning to the restaurant industry and working for a global food service brand has been a goal of mine,” said Michael. “By joining the HOA Brands team, I’m able to flex my skills and ramp up unit growth for our concepts as well as work with our leadership team, motivate multi-unit operators, and others who are interested in expanding these concepts both domestically and internationally. We are driving the HOA Brands forward by partnering with the right franchisees.”
Most recently, Michael has revamped and led Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa to grow outside of Florida into new markets in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. The pool retail brand’s new locations over the past three years have had the highest opening average unit volumes since the inception of the brand.
Notably, Michael established a franchise program for Captain D’s and built the development organization from scratch, resulting in a pipeline of more than 100 locations, with consistent annual double-digit openings, primarily from new multi-unit franchisees.
To his new role on the HOA executive leadership team, Michael will also bring financial background, demonstrating why Hooters and Hoots are great investments for future franchisees.
“Our brands are experiencing unprecedented, industry-leading growth and strong performance,” said Sal Mellili, CEO of HOA Brands. “With a robust track record developing leading concepts, we will benefit significantly from Arrowsmith’s leadership and experience in guiding our vision for continued growth and success for years to come.”
