Moe's Southwest Grill exec joins PopUp Bagels C-suite

PopUp Bagels has added a restaurant veteran to its leadership team as it continues its expansion.

The Westport, Conn.-founded bagel chain has named Mike Smith as its chief operating officer. In the role, Smith will lead the teams responsible for executing and supporting the PopUp Bagels experience across the system.

Prior to joining PopUp Bagels, Smith spent more than four years at Mexican fast-casual chain Moe's Southwest Grill, serving as chief brand officer after previously serving as VP of operations. Before Moe’s, he was chief operating officer at Taziki's Mediterranean Café, and spent more than a decade in restaurant operations leadership at Hooters.

[READ MORE: PopUp Bagels enters New Jersey]

"Our goal has never been to simply grow the number of shops we operate – it's to build a company that never loses sight of what made people fall in love with PopUp Bagels in the first place," said Tory Bartlett, CEO of PopUp Bagels. "That starts by bringing in leaders who share our values and understand that protecting the quality of our product and the experience behind it is just as important as building for the future. Mike's experience and leadership make him an incredible addition to our team."