It's A Grind Announces New Vice President of Operations

It’s A Grind Coffee House, the fastest growing specialty Coffee franchise in the United States, today announced the appointment of Rick Kowalski as the new vice president of operations. Kowalski will use his long time expertise in operations, brand building and marketing to strengthen and expand the It’s A Grind brand nationwide.

As vice president of operations at It’s A Grind, Kowalski’s responsibilities include Franchise and company operations as well as marketing and supply chain.

“It’s A Grind is expanding rapidly across the nation and I am thrilled to join the corporate office at this exciting time,” Kowalski said. “As vice president of operations, I look forward to contributing to this growth and increasing the level of support to franchise owners across the country.”

An accomplished strategist with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the Restaurant industry, primarily with quick service restaurants and causal dining hotels, Kowalski has also worked with franchise systems and franchisees since the start of his career.

“We are excited to have Rick on board and believe he will be a great asset to the executive team,” said Marty Cox, co-founder and president of It’s A Grind Coffee Franchise, LLC. “His rare blend of marketing and operations expertise along with his philosophy of establishing performance benchmarks, continuous improvement and people development is a perfect fit for the level of service and excellence we are proud to offer at It’s A Grind.”

Prior to working with It’s A Grind, Kowalski has held positions with notable companies including KFC, El Pollo Loco, Hilton Hotels and most recently Dunkin Brands where he managed the Asia Pacific region with direct responsibility for more than 3000 Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins stores in 10 countries. He was also responsible for achieving record division sales and profit increase for four straight years. At Hilton, he implemented the “Balanced Scorecard” approach to managing Food & Beverage operations that allowed managers to continuously improve their financial performance without sacrificing guest satisfaction.

Kowalski holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. He and his wife Valerie, along with their two children, live in Coto de Caza, California.

About It’s A Grind

IAG Coffee Franchise, LLC, based in Long Beach, Calif., was formed in 2000 to franchise the It’s A Grind Coffee House concept, founded by Marty Cox and his wife Louise Montgomery. The fastest growing specialty coffee franchise in the United States, It’s A Grind currently has more than 65 locations with a projected 100 stores to open by the end of 2005. On the menu are freshly-brewed, high quality micro roasted coffees from around the world including espresso and iced blended coffee drinks as well as assorted bakery items. Unlike most traditional coffeehouses, It’s A Grind has a complete kids menu, and even offers a ‘sampler bar’ where individuals can try out as many as six blends of the day.