This vet of Albertsons, Amazon and Pepsi to lead metro Atlanta food giant

GoTo Foods runs Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s. On Tuesday, it announced new leader Omer Gajial.

GoTo Foods named Omer Gajial as CEO, effective immediately. (Courtesy of GoTo Foods)

By Amy Wenk

40 minutes ago

An Atlanta fast-casual restaurant giant is bringing on a new leader who hails from big brands such as Albertsons, Amazon and PepsiCo.

GoTo Foods said Tuesday it has named Omer Gajial as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Jim Holthouser, who served as CEO for nearly six years, is retiring.

GoTo Foods earlier this year launched a new concept, Moe's Casa Mexicana, for international expansion. (Courtesy of GoTo Foods)

GoTo Foods, which has its headquarters in Sandy Springs, is the owner and franchisor of restaurant chains and food court fixtures. That includes Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s. It also owns Seattle’s Best Coffee.

“These brands have a rich legacy of delighting customers worldwide, and I look forward to working alongside our talented team and franchisees to build on that success,” Gajial said in an announcement. A GoTo Foods spokesperson said Gajial was not currently available for interviews.

GoTo Foods is headquartered in Sandy Springs. (Courtesy of GoTo Foods)

Gajial has more than 20 years of global consumer-retail leadership, according to the announcement. He most recently served as chief merchandising and digital officer for grocery chain Albertsons.

He also worked for Amazon, where he managed category development and marketplace operations for North America. At PepsiCo, he directed global strategy and marketing for markets including the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and North America.

How the Georgia owner of McAlister’s Deli, Cinnabon and Moe’s adapts to change

At GoTo Foods, Gajial will oversee a global portfolio. As of late September, GoTo Foods is the franchisor and operator of more than 7,100 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops and bakeries in 50 states and 70 countries and territories.

McAlister's Deli, one of several brands under GoTo Foods' portfolio, reached $1 billion in annual sales last year. (Courtesy of Gabe Ford)

“Together, we will continue to focus on product innovation, enhancing the guest experiences, scaling efficiencies and driving franchise profitability,” Gajial said in the announcement.

Jim Holthouser is retiring as CEO of GoTo Foods, a role he began in 2020. (Courtesy of GoTo Foods)

Holthouser, the retiring CEO, is credited with rebranding the company from Focus Brands to GoTo Foods and helping unify its brands into a more cohesive system.

Also during his tenure, GoTo Foods expanded its physical footprint both in the U.S. and abroad, as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year. GoTo Foods saw McAlister’s Deli reach $1 billion in annual sales, and it launched its first original concept called Cinnabon Swirl.

“We’ve transformed so much together — digitally, operationally, culturally — and we did it not by outspending our competitors, but by out-hustling and out-thinking them,” Holthouser said in a LinkedIn post announcing his departure. “I’m proud of that.”

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