Richard Franks is to join Hop Vietnamese as managing director in July, after stepping down from his role at Chilango earlier this month.
He will lead the business, alongside founder Paul Hopper, devising its operational strategy as well as driving its plans for growth.
His appointment follows the announcement of a successful £2.25m capital raise by Hop, which it will use to grow its estate outside the City in central London.
Hop has plans to open up to 20 new locations in the capital over the next five years and has recently appointed Nick Ayerst – formerly MD of TRG Concessions and former MD of Leon - as a strategic advisor to explore franchising as a growth route for the brand.
It has also just appointed Jemma Morgan – formerly of The Big Easy, MOD Pizza and Whistle Punks, as a brand and marketing consultant.
Franks, who had been managing director Chilango since January 2020 left following the news in May that Tortilla was to acquire the business for £2.75m. He’d previously served as director of operations and head of operations at the business.
Franks shared on LinkedIn that he had got to know Hopper and his business in recent times, “and the more I have got to know him and understand his ambitious growth plans, the more I feel this is absolutely the right fit for us both”.
”The past couple of years have shown that the fast casual dining sector is incredibly robust, with consumers showing a real appetite to once again begin eating out. I have long-admired Hop for its fantastic food, its colourful attitude and its cutting-edge approach to the digital guest experience.
“It could not be a better time for Hop to bring its incredible, fresh flavours to more and more hungry guests and I’m incredibly excited to be working with Paul and the team to build a brand with a huge future.”
Last year, Hopper revealed that he was embarking on a new capital raise in order to build back the previously five site business to its former size, following the closure of several sites during the pandemic.
Commenting on the appointments and Hop’s growth plans, Hopper said: ”I’m incredibly excited to be joined by Richard, Jemma and Nick as Hop enters the next phase of its exciting journey.
”Each of them brings a wealth of experience and fresh thinking to the table which will help Hop stay ahead in the years to come. It’s always been my dream to one day make Hop a household name and I’m convinced we now have the team to make that a reality.”
