Marcel Khan has been appointed CEO of Fulham Shore, which owns an operates the Real Greek and Franco Manca restaurant chains.
Earlier this year Fulham Shore was acquired by Japanese food business Toridoll, which operates the Marugame Udon, Shoryu and Wok to Walk restaurants brands in the UK, for £93.4m. Khan will take up the role in January and be responsible for expanding both brands through the UK and internationally.
He was previously CEO of Thunderbird Fried Chicken, driving its evolution from a street food operator to high-street brand. He also spearheaded Five Guys' expansion in the UK and Europe as operations and brand development director.
Khan, said 'I'm super excited to join the Fulham Shore. Franco Manca and the Real Greek are iconic, unique and well-loved brands with significant potential to expand in the UK, internationally, and through retail channels.
'Having recently met Awata-san and his incredible leadership team at Toridoll, I've been truly inspired by their commitment to driving the emotional connection between brands and customers and delivering ‘Kando', the Japanese word for the simultaneous feeling of deep satisfaction and excitement. I look forward to using my expertise to lead the next phase of The Fulham Shore's development and introduce more customers to Franco Manca and The Real Greek's differentiated offers.'
Takaya Awata, CEO of Toridoll, said: 'We are delighted to welcome Marcel as the Fulham Shore's new CEO. With tremendous industry experience, working with exciting, high-growth food and beverage brands, Marcel will play a crucial role in driving the next phase of Franco Manca and The Real Greek's very exciting development.'