James Thornton, former finance director at the Greene King-owned Cloverleaf Restaurants, has joined Euro Garages, the forecourt operator, which operates a number of sites in partnership with Starbucks and Subway.
Thornton joined Cloverleaf in 2007. During his time at the company, it expanded to 12 freehold sites, with a further 10 in the pipeline, before Greene king acquired the business for £56m in January.
Euro Garages, which has a portfolio of 70 freehold-owned sites, announced in August that it had secured a new £110m funding agreement to accelerate its growth strategy.
The chain is set to operate 100 drive-thrus under license from Starbucks, with many of these stores set to open in the Midlands and the north of England over the next five years.
Zuber Issa, chief executive of Euro Garages, said: “With a proven track record in supporting high-growth, multi-site businesses, James’ expertise is an ideal match for the business. His arrival comes at an exciting time, having recently raised significant new funding to accelerate our expansion through new acquisitions and continued investment in our existing estate.”
Thornton said: “Euro Garages is an innovative player in a dynamic market which presents significant opportunities for growth. I’m excited about the current prospects for the group and look forward to supporting an excellent management team.”
