Franchising veterans work to redefine restaurant brand support

Longtime franchising veteran Carrie Evans serves as chief development officer for the new Dine Growth Group.

Dine Growth Group restaurant brands — Dine Growth Group

*Courtesy of* *Dine Growth Group*

A new force in the franchising world is making its debut with the launch of Dine Growth Group, a franchise sales organization designed exclusively to support the growth of restaurant brands. Regional full-service, family-dining wings franchise East Coast Wings + Grill and emerging restaurant concept Sammy's Sliders will be the two pioneering brands under the DGG umbrella.

The franchising veterans behind DGG

Leading the charge at DGG as chief development officer is Carrie Evans, former vice president of franchise development for Chicken Salad Chick. Evans has spent the last 22 years working on the franchise development side of the business for food brands of all sizes, including CiCi's Pizza, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and most recently Chicken Salad Chick. As chief development officer, Evans will spearhead the day-to-day operations of the business.

Carrie Evans, Dine Growth Group's chief development officer

Carrie Evans will serve as Dine Growth Group's chief development officer. Evans has a 22-year-history in franchising with food brands, most recently with Chicken Salad Chick. Courtesy of Dine Growth Group.

"In my career, I've had the honor of working with large, well-established brands, as well as up-and-coming brands. It's those emerging concepts where I found I really hit my stride," Evans said. "There's something special about helping a brand create its franchising playbook right from the beginning. With this venture with Dine Growth Group, I'm excited to truly help brands create their story that will ultimately shape their growth."

DGG is initially backed by investors Sam G. Ballas, founder and CEO of East Coast Wings + Grill and co-founder of Sammy's Sliders, Brad Fishman and Sammy Gianopoulos, all franchise system veterans. Jake Fishman and Gregory Ballas, partners in the firm, will also be supporting DGG's growth strategy.

"Having been in the restaurant franchising business for over two decades, I understand the importance of scaling a brand for sustainable success. I'm thrilled to help establish this firm to share that knowledge and experience with other brands to help them flourish in today's franchise development landscape," Sam Ballas said. "Carrie has built an impressive reputation for helping franchise brands successfully grow under her direction. We're looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish with Dine Growth Group."

DGG's relationship-driven business model aims to pave the way to help each of its brands build a healthy, sustainable franchise system. The group is committed to prioritizing the selection of franchisees who align with the long-term vision of its brands, ensuring steady growth.

"We see Dine Growth Group as an extension of each brand's franchise development team," Evans said. "I've always taken pride in working directly with every franchisee brought into the system in my prior roles in franchise development, and I'm bringing that same focus on relationships and hands-on support to Dine Growth Group."

"I look forward to working with Carrie and the Dine Growth Group team in collaboration with our growth efforts," said Ashley Mitchell, VP of marketing of ECW+G. "Carrie's deep understanding of the franchising landscape, coupled with Dine Growth Group's promising approach to thoughtful, strategic growth are exactly what we need to continue building a strong foundation for future success."

Source: Dine Growth Group