Playa Bowls taps Smoothie King exec as it new CEO
Playa Bows has named a seasoned executive as CEO to lead its national expansion.
The nation's leading superfruit bowl shop has named Dan Harmon as its new CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Playa Bowls’ co-founder Rob Giuliani, who will remain engaged in the business as chief innovation officer and continue to play a critical role in the company strategic development.
Most recently, Harmon was president and COO at Smoothie King where he launched several transformative initiatives focused on profitability, productivity and ease of operations, according to the Playa Bowls release.
Prior to joining Smoothie King in 207, Harmon spent five years at Papa Murphy's International. He also served at Potbelly Sandwich Works, Blockbuster and McDonald's.
"Harmon has an exceptional reputation for exceeding business objectives and franchisee relationships in the restaurant industry and will be a valuable asset as we continue to grow and develop our company," said Giuliani. "Throughout his career, Harmon has established himself as a leader who builds strong teams, drives great business results and develops trust with team members and franchisees.”
Founded in 2014, Playa Bowls currently has 175-plus locations systemwide, operating in 20 states. It plans to continue to expand its domestic footprint across the U.S.
As CEO, Harmon will leverage his extensive industry experience to continue to build on the brand's unique strengths and assume responsibility for accelerating its overall growth strategies and performance.
"I'm thrilled to take on this new opportunity and role. Playa Bowls is a unique brand with a combination of high-quality superfruit menu items, exceptional franchisees and passionate team members," said Dan Harmon, CEO of Playa Bowls. "There is a tremendous opportunity to grow the brand and mission nationally, and I'm looking forward to working closely with our leadership team and franchisees to make that happen."
In December, Playa Bowls named Darlene Schoeneberg as VP of operations. With more than 25 years of foodservice experience, Schoeneberg most recently was director of operations for Dunkin' Brands.