After an impressive pivot in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that recovered sales across 100 units of Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Fresh Hospitality has named Taziki’s Vice President of Marketing + Growth Rachel Layton as the next Managing Partner of the company’s ” I Love Juice Bar” brand.
Layton – who in two years helped Taziki’s same-store sales surge by double digits and drove growth through the implementation of customer loyalty programs, retail gift card strategies and other new revenue streams – made a name for herself as the brand’s first-ever female executive, and was a core member of the team that put Taziki’s in a position to leverage innovation and technology to overcome labor and supply-chain challenges and remain profitable during the pandemic.
“Rachel is a leader in our company and has demonstrated not only the kind of young, motivated expertise we look for, but also the willingness to take risks. These are new times we’re living in, and she embodies our guest-first focus,” said J. Michael Bodnar, Managing Partner of Fresh Hospitality. “When we thought about who might be best suited to take Juice Bar to the next level, Rachel came immediately to mind.”
As Managing Partner of “I Love Juice Bar,” Layton intends to roll out a brand refresh that includes a complete website overhaul and app redesign, plus significant menu innovations. These adjustments will improve the guest experience, enhance franchisee support systems and gain market share through new customer acquisition programs that build loyalty across the concept’s 30+ units. Under Layton’s leadership, the company will launch third-party relationships with DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates, and a retail shake line in grocery stores and fitness studios. Layton also plans to return to some of the historical practices that the founders built the dairy-free brand on.
Executive Chef Vui Hunt, who co-founded the “I Love Juice Bar” brand and flagship store in Brentwood, Tennessee, says Layton’s ability to unify owners and lead game-changing operational solutions have been “gold” to the Fresh Hospitality team.
“Rachel is a true beacon of bright light and smart energy leading I Love Juice Bar to amazing new destinations,” Hunt said. “She is tireless, and that makes us energized to be on her team.
Having first been exposed to hospitality as a teenager working in a fast food restaurant, Layton became Director of Marketing for A. Marshall Hospitality in 2014, while completing an MBA at Belmont University. With A. Marshall, she assisted with the opening of Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant locations in numerous markets, while launching other new middle Tennessee concepts such as Scout’s Pub in Franklin and Deacon’s New South in downtown Nashville. She also secured partnerships with channel partners including major universities and built memorable philanthropic campaigns as part of a master marketing and community relations strategy for the company’s six brands.
Juice Bar is a brand that was founded to make nutrition and nourishment accessible to anyone, anywhere. As experts on fruits, vegetables, and superfoods, Juice Bar crafts approachable flavor profiles made from only wholesome, responsibly sourced, plant-based ingredients. Unlike most in they industry, Juice Bar never uses ice (or any other fillers), or artificial additions when making smoothies, acai bowls, juices, shots, or growlers… only high-quality, nutrient-rich ingredients to help power you through your daily routine. To learn more, visit www.ilovejuicebar.com.
