Gourmet News

Sweetgreen Appoints Retail Veteran Williams as COO

Published February 5, 2024

Sweetgreen announced the appointment of Rossann Williams as the company’s chief operating officer, effective Feb. 5. Williams joins Sweetgreen’s executive leadership team and will oversee operations, real estate + development and supply chain for the company.

Williams is an accomplished global operations executive bringing more than 30 years of experience leading retail businesses. Williams is a respected and engaged leader focused on cultivating high-performance teams at every level of the business.

“Rossann is an industry veteran with a proven track record in driving sustainable growth of global, iconic brands and leading teams to generate profitability,” said Jonathan Neman, CEO and co-founder of Sweetgreen. “Rossann complements the existing skills and experience of our leadership team as we pursue our next chapter of growth. It’s clear that she shares our values, and I look forward to partnering with Rossann to further our mission of connecting more communities to real food.”

Prior to joining Sweetgreen, Williams spent over 18 years at Starbucks, where she rose to EVP and president of North America retail. In this role, she oversaw a market of approximately 16,000 stores, where she significantly improved same-store sales, successfully opened thousands of new stores and helped navigate the company through the pandemic. At Starbucks, Williams also served in senior operations roles across North America, eventually rising to SVP, global and Americas operations services. Previously, Williams held leadership roles for several well-known Fortune 500 brands, including Blockbuster and Toys “R” Us.

“I’ve long admired Sweetgreen’s leadership as a founder-led, mission-driven company driving the industry forward. I am deeply aligned with Sweetgreen’s values, people-centric approach and commitment to connect more people to delicious, real food. I’m thrilled to be joining the Sweetgreen team at a moment of significant growth and an incredible opportunity ahead,” said Williams.

Sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Sweetgreen sources the best quality ingredients from farmers and suppliers they trust to cook food from scratch that is both delicious and nourishing. They plant roots in each community by building a transparent supply chain, investing in local farmers and growers, and enhancing the total experience with innovative technology.

Since opening its first 560-square-foot location in 2007, Sweetgreen has scaled to over 220 locations across the United States, and their vision is to lead the next generation of restaurants and lifestyle brands built on quality, community and innovation.

To learn more about Sweetgreen, its menu, and its loyalty program, visit www.Sweetgreen.com. Follow @Sweetgreen on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

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Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods Announces Leadership Roles

Published February 5, 2024

Photo: Chicken of the Sea

Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods has announced the appointment of three new leaders and a promotion within its commercial organization. The company is excited to welcome these industry experts who bring customer-centric expertise to ensure COSFF remains at the forefront of the ever-evolving seafood industry.

Tiffany Hicks has been hired as senior vice president, foodservice and wholesale. Hicks will lead the teams servicing broadline, national/multi-unit chains, industrial and wholesale customers. Before joining COSFF, she led foodservice at Bumble Bee Foods and Danone North America, along with a diverse background in general management and retail roles while at PepsiCo and Pepsi Bottling Group. Hicks is a Society of Fellow’s member at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America since 2022. Tiffany will report to Brenden Beck, executive vice president sales & marketing.

Joining COSFF as senior director consumer, Amanda Duran will oversee club channel activity as well as have key account responsibilities in the retail channel. Before joining COSFF, Duran served as chief revenue officer at Grass Fed Foods and Teton Waters Ranch. In this new role, Duran will also report to Beck.

Seafood veteran Sonia Merges has joined COSFF as sales manager in the foodservice/wholesale channel. Merges started her seafood career with Empress International, prior to the 2009 merger with COSFF. Most recently Merges served as an account manager at Crystal Cove Seafood. Merges will be working across the foodservice/wholesale channel and reporting to Hicks.

“We pride ourselves on our customer relationships and team – both have been crucial in positioning COSFF as a leader in the industry,” said Beck. “We are excited to welcome these talented professionals to further strengthen our organization, expertise and service.”

Additionally, Michael Richards has been promoted to senior vice president, commercial/category and has taken on expanded responsibilities overseeing activities in crab meat and finfish categories, as well as leading the retail channel team.

COSFF is at the forefront of the industry, supporting parent company Thai Union’s pioneering sustainability strategy and market-leading innovation. In addition to these leadership changes, the organization has invested in various sustainability initiatives, and built the most developed quality assurance network in the industry. To learn more, visit b2b.chickenofthesea.com.

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Smoke Lab Vodka Presents You’re in My Heart Cocktail

Published February 5, 2024

Smoke Lab Vodka is bringing the colors of passion and romance into its signature Valentine’s Day cocktail this year. This visually striking and delicious cocktail, created by Smoke Lab national mixologist and Industry expert, Paula Lukas @paulalukas27, is the perfect elixir to set the mood for any Feb. 14^th celebration.

YOU’RE IN MY HEART

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Smoke Lab Vodka
1 oz. Vermut Lustau Rose’ Vermouth
.5 oz. Portland Syrups Rose Cordial
3 oz. Mionetto Prosecco Rose’
1/4 tsp pink edible glitter
1 red rose petal – garnish

Method:

Combine Smoke Lab Vodka, vermouth, rose cordial and edible glitter in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a flute or coupe. Top with Prosecco Rose’ and garnish with a red rose petal.

Smoke Lab Vodka is crafted with pure Himalayan spring water and locally sourced superior-quality Basmati rice, selected for its distinctive crisp, pure flavor, and unique floral aromas. SMOKE LAB is India’s first homegrown luxury vodka that is becoming a favorite among U.S. consumers.

Lukas is a veteran of the New York City hospitality industry with over 30 years of experience. Known for her creative cocktails, Paula names the cocktails she develops for Smoke Lab after classic songs.

Smoke Lab Classic retails for a suggested price of $20/750ml

For more Smoke Lab Vodka cocktail recipes, visit smokelabofficial.com/cocktails

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