News

Newk's Eatery hires industry veteran to further expansion

August 6, 2014

Newk's Eatery brand has hired franchise development veteran Chris Cheek to oversee the company's aggressive expansion plans.

As chief development officer, Cheek will help meet the company's goal of growing Newk's from 70 Southeastern restaurants to 200 by 2019, as well as continue building a pipeline for long-term expansion, according to a company press release.

"We have reached a point in the company's growth that it makes sense to bring franchise development in house," Newk's Eatery Founder and CEO Chris Newcomb said in the release. "With a team exclusively dedicated to franchise development, we will best be able to identify experienced franchisees with operating capacity and investment capabilities to grow with the Newk's brand."

Cheek and his team will identify potential franchise partners, assist in sourcing and identifying  real estate, as well as ensure that the real estate and construction phases of new company-owned and franchise restaurants meet the company's growth targets.

Earlier this year, Newk's Eatery received investment capital from New York-based private equity firm Sentinel Capital to invest in franchise and company-owned restaurant expansion. As part of its growth plan, Cheek and his team will build a more condensed brand footprint within the Southeast and initiate growth contiguously along the East Coast and into the lower Midwest.

"My passion lies in the fast casual dining industry, where the trend is toward culinary, freshly prepared and scratch-made meals. That's the cornerstone of the Newk's brand," said Cheek. "But it's the unit-level economics that I believe make it one of the best kept secrets in the restaurant industry. Nobody takes a culinary approach to food and an open kitchen concept in a fast casual setting like Newk's."

Cheek's business development experience includes franchise program development for Freebirds World Burritos and redevelopment of the franchise program for Bruegger's bakery-cafes. While leading Bruegger's franchising program, Cheek secured development commitments for both traditional and non-traditional venues, as well as oversaw the opening of 100 stores in 22 states. Under the ownership of Le Duff America, which purchased Bruegger's in 2012, he served as vice president of development for Breuggers, Timothy's World Coffee, Michel's Bakery Cafe, la Madeline Country French Cafe and Brioche Doree. Cheek began his career with Bear Rock Cafe and served most recently as chief development officer for Topper's Pizza.