McAlister's Deli® Names Carin Stutz as President

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Dec 01, 2014, 10:52 ET

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- McAlister's Deli has named Carin Stutz President effective November 17, 2014. McAlister's Deli is a fast-casual deli concept with more than 330 restaurants in more than 24 states.

"Carin's vast experience in building great teams, creating brand differentiation, driving operations and delivering results make her an ideal candidate for the position," said FOCUS Brands CEO Steve DeSutter. "I feel confident that McAlister's will continue to thrive under her leadership and industry expertise."

Most recently Carin served as President and CEO of Cosi, a fast casual restaurant chain that's known for its crackly crust flatbread. Prior to that she was President, Global Business Development at Brinker International, the parent company of Chili's Bar & Grill and Maggiano's; Executive Vice President of Operations for Applebee's; and Division Vice President of Wendy's International.

Technomic^® recognized McAlister's twice in its Chain Restaurant Consumers' Choice Awards — in 2014 as the top kid-friendly fast casual chain and in 2013 as the top fast casual chain for food and beverage. This year, Nation's Restaurant News named McAlister's the top limited-service sandwich chain in its Consumer Picks Survey. Also in 2014, QSR Magazine recognized the brand as one of the "Best Franchise Deals" and named McAlister's to its QSR 50 list, ranking 13th for U.S. average sales per unit in 2013. FastCasual.com also recognized the brand on its "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list of 2014 and Franchise Business Review named McAlister's one of the "Top Food Franchises" in 2014 based on franchisee satisfaction.

About McAlister's
Founded in 1989, McAlister's^® Deli is a fast casual restaurant chain known for its sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™. In addition to dine-in and take-out service, McAlister's also offers catering with a selection of sandwich trays, box lunches, desserts, a hot spud bar and more. With numerous industry accolades, the McAlister's brand has more than 330 restaurants in 24 states. The company has corporate offices in both Alpharetta, Ga., and Ridgeland, Miss. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli.com.

About FOCUS Brands
Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands Inc. is the franchisor and operator of more than 4,440 ice cream shoppes, bakeries, restaurants and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 61 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill®, Auntie Anne's® Pretzels and McAlister's Deli®, as well as the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee® on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.