News

Coolgreens hires Red Robin vet as VP of Ops

October 2, 2018

Coolgreens has hired Todd Madlener, a 20-year Red Robin executive, as its VP of Operations. 

"Coolgreens has a menu that is different from what is already out there, serving great salads while also offering hot items such as sandwiches and flatbreads," Madlener said in a company press release. "I am excited to continue to support the brand and franchisees as they come on board, without driving up costs or complexity, so our franchisees can focus on supporting their teams and guests in world-class fashion."

At the time Madlener joined the Red Robin team, the brand was faltering with 100 locations. He was part of a team that re-energized the brand, which soon grew to more than 400 locations and 22 franchisees operating 137 restaurants in the U.S. and across Canada, according to the release.

From there, Madlener went onto work with Mad Greens where he spearheaded the brand's regional growth and eventually partnered with a large Red Robin franchisee, PB&J Restaurant Group. He worked in many supporting roles for the various brands the group represented including, operations, design and construction, training, and development.

"My experiences working with the incredible teams at Red Robin, MAD Greens, and PB&J have set the stage for this exciting new opportunity to get into a brand during the initial stages of franchising, helping to build an infrastructure and culture where people and partnerships come first," Madlener said.

Founded in 2009, in Oklahoma City, Coolgreens has seven corporate-owned locations and last year launched its first franchise offering.