Red Mango Appoints Barry M. Barron, Sr. as CEO

Retail development and operations executive tapped to lead next phase of growth for rapidly-expanding chain

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Jul 25, 2011, 09:00 ET

DALLAS, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Mango , Inc., one of the nation's fastest-growing retail franchise concepts, and a leader among frozen yogurt and smoothie chains, today announced the appointment of Barry M. Barron, Sr. as its chief executive officer.

Barron, a Dallas resident, brings extensive restaurant experience to the role, including six years leading Papa John's international expansion and 10 years in restaurant operations with Pizza Hut. Most recently Barron was chief operating officer of ACE Cash Express where he helped to grow the chain from 700 to 1800 locations.

"Red Mango now has 132 stores in operation, and that growth is continuing to accelerate," said Chairman John Antioco. "Barry's extensive background in store development and operations is perfectly suited to continuing the rapid pace of our national and international expansion through franchising."

Since its launch in 2007, Red Mango has operated under the leadership of Founder Dan Kim, who will continue to serve as the company's chief concept officer focusing on product innovation, social media initiatives and brand marketing.

"We strongly endorse Barry's appointment," said Fouad Bashour, Red Mango director and partner with CIC Partners, a leading Dallas private equity firm. "CIC Partners has enjoyed a long history with Barry. He was instrumental in growing the ACE brand and creating value for its shareholders and we look forward to similar results from Red Mango."

"Red Mango has clearly established itself as the leader within its category," said Barron. "When our guests walk through the door, they immediately feel the difference. From the upscale decor, to the healthy, innovative line of products to the active online fan base, Red Mango is a company that understands its strengths and truly differentiates itself from other concepts. And because those elements are firmly in place, now is the perfect time to accelerate the company's growth on both national and international levels."

More information about Red Mango is available at the company's website (redmangousa.com) and Facebook fan page (facebook.com/redmango). Fans can also follow Red Mango on Twitter (twitter.com/redmango).

About Red Mango:

Red Mango, one of the fastest growing retailers of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, opened its first U.S. store in July 2007 in Los Angeles, and has since celebrated more than 130 store openings across the U.S. Red Mango received the prestigious Nation's Restaurant News' "Hot Concepts!" award and the industry-recognized SupplySide's "Scientific Excellence Award," and has been named the best frozen yogurt in Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago, Utah and New York by highly-regarded independent publications. Headquartered in Dallas, Red Mango serves uniquely delicious frozen yogurt that is all-natural, nonfat and lowfat, gluten-free and packed with beneficial live and active probiotic cultures like GanedenBC30™ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), which helps support a healthy immune and digestive system when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Red Mango is the first frozen yogurt retailer to earn the National Yogurt Association's Live and Active Cultures seal for meeting the required criteria for healthy frozen yogurt. Red Mango recently expanded its menu to include satisfying meal options such as its all-natural made-to-order fruit and yogurt parfaits and fresh fruit smoothies, and also introduced the world's first all-natural probiotic iced teas that are hand-shaken to order.

More information about Red Mango is available at www.redmangousa.com, www.facebook.com/redmango or www.twitter.com/redmango. For franchising information, please visit www.redmangofranchising.com or call 214-871-6865.

About CIC Partners LP:

Headquartered in Dallas, TX, CIC Partners LP is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in market-leading companies in North America. CIC Partners has successfully invested in more than 40 companies with revenues of $10 million to $1 billion in industries including energy exploration, food, restaurants and retail, and healthcare services. More information about CIC Partners can be found at www.cicpartners.com.

SOURCE Red Mango