Caribou Coffee hires franchise VIP

Caribou Coffee has created a chief franchise officer position and hired Matthew Walls, former chief global development officer at CKE Restaurants, for the role.

“Walls has an exceptional reputation for creating lasting partnerships with franchisees in the restaurant industry, and we are tremendously grateful to add his talent, experience and leadership to our team,” John Butcher, president and CEO of Caribou Coffee, said in a company press release. “His proven track record of leading franchising and growth efforts while working with both domestic and international partners makes him uniquely qualified to spearhead Caribou’s franchise business as we continue to build on our recent success.”

While working for CKE, the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., Walls aided in rolling out a nationwide reimage program focused on remodeling stores, incorporating technology and enhancing operations. His career also includes roles with Domino’s Pizza and Yum Brands, where he held various positions in operations, e-commerce and logistics.

“I’m honored to join the passionate and hardworking team at Caribou,” Walls said in the release. “The recent launch of the brand’s domestic franchise program, coupled with Caribou’s product innovation and world-class culture make the brand uniquely positioned for tremendous success. It’s a privilege to work with amazing teams — from our support center to our field teams — and I’m confident that in my role as chief franchise officer I’ll help strategically develop the Caribou brand through franchising, both domestically and abroad.”

Caribou launched its domestic franchise program in October of 2021, building on the success of non-traditional (license) and international franchise operations. Since the program’s launch, the brand has signed franchise agreements in Ohio and Florida.

Caribou Coffee has 732 locations systemwide, including 137 non-traditional locations nationwide and 261 international franchise stores abroad.