Andrew Taylor, the former chief executive of McDonald’s UK, has joined POD, the London-based, healthy fast food concept led by Tim Hall, as chairman, M&C Report understands.
Taylor was chief executive of McDonald’s UK from 1996 to 2004 having spent most of his career there.
He joins the company as it gets ready to return to the expansion trail after 12 months of consolidation and strengthening its head office, which was recently completed with the appointment of former Pret employee Anton Read as operations director.
Hall told M&C Report that the 23-strong group was currently finalising its plans for “an aggressive rollout program” for 2014 focusing on further openings in the capital, although he didn’t rule out the brand making its debut outside London in the following 12 months.
Taylor said: “I am delighted to be joining the POD team and have been a great admirer of what Tim has achieved with the brand over the short period since it launched. POD has disrupted the food-to-go sector to an extent that belies its small size.
“My belief is that the creative engine at the heart of POD will continue to challenge the market and the growth opportunities for the chain are huge. I look forward to helping Tim and the board realise the potential this exciting business holds.”
Hall said: “After a challenging year, addressing the unusual level of emulation we have provoked, we are now enjoying sustained double digit like for like growth across the estate and customer satisfaction ratings are excellent. It seems customers have tried the rest and are flocking back to the best!
“After some years of seeking the right chairman for the long term, I look forward to working closely with Andrew and absorbing his experience into pod. Andrew advised me in the early days of pod and his experience will enable us to reinforce our dominant position in the sector.”
