Cafe Rio hires Cava vet as COO

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Dive Brief:

Cafe Rio has hired Adam Klaers as chief operating officer and promoted Julie Boyster to chief brand officer, according to a Monday press release.
Klaers joins the chain from Cava, where he was vice president of operations services and innovation, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The executive changes are part of the chain’s effort to rebuild itself under CEO Mike Burns, who joined Cafe Rio this spring after a series of menu and brand changes eroded the brand’s connections with its core consumers.

Dive Insight:

Prior to Cava, Klaers worked at Roy Rogers, per the press release, and he brings significant experience in restaurant operations and in rebranding efforts. He also worked in operations at Toms King, a Burger King operator and Chipotle, according to his LinkedIn.

Klaers helped “lead large, multi-unit organizations through growth, transformation and operational change, with a focus on developing strong restaurant leaders, improving operational consistency and implementing scalable systems,” the press release states. He will bring those skills to Cafe Rio, overseeing daily operations, food consistency, training and restaurant leadership development. 

Boyster joined the chain as marketing vice president at the start of the year, according to her LinkedIn profile. Prior to that she was CMO fo LifeVantage, a skincare company.

Since coming to Cafe Rio, she has helped the brand devise its comeback story, “through initiatives including the Utah Handheld Burrito, Cafe Rio’s partnership with the Utah Mammoth, and a mix of new and returning menu items such as Double Dip Fries and the Blueberry Mojito Mocktail.”

In the new role, Boyster will continue her work on branding while working to improve consumer engagement with the chain’s loyalty program and digital channels, per the press release.