East Coast Wings & Grill, a polished casual family dining franchise with an emphasis on buffalo wings, has recently named Stacey Kane as Vice President of Marketing. As an experienced marketing professional, Kane brings with her extensive knowledge in the restaurant industry.
With more than 20 years of experience working with and building multi-unit restaurant chains, some of Kane’s previous positions in the industry include Global Director of Buzz at AmRest Restaurants, where she worked with the leadership teams of more than 740 restaurants with over nine brands in 12 countries. Furthermore, in 2007, Kane joined California Tortilla, a 40 unit restaurant chain where she was responsible for overseeing all marketing functions as the Vice President of Marketing. Prior to her career at California Tortilla, Kane spent 11 years as a top-level media buyer for Subway® restaurants. She has also served on several boards, including the Share Our Strength’s Marketing Advisory Board and the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group Board. In 2012 and 2013, Kane was named as one of the Top 20 Movers and Shakers within the Fast Casual Restaurant Industry by Fast Casual Magazine.
“Stacey’s impressive track record in spearheading creative national campaigns as a restaurant marketer will help us continue creating awareness across the country as we further our franchise development footprint,” said Sam Ballas, CEO of East Coast Wings & Grill. “In her new role, Stacey will lead our marketing department and oversee our National Director of Unit Level Marketing, with immediate focus on implementing programs aimed at creating brand awareness, customer retention and new customer acquisition.”
With 82 locations currently operating or in various stages of development, the company opened five new restaurants in 2014 and is on track to open eight additional locations in 2015. Furthermore, 2014 marked the sixth consecutive year that East Coast Wings & Grill finished with new store unit growth above 20 percent, which led the brand to a four percent increase in sales over 2013.
“I am very excited to join the East Coast Wings & Grill team during this period of rapid expansion and new restaurant openings. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to leverage my marketing skills with a brand that has established itself as a leader in the casual dining segment,” said Kane. “I look forward to working with the amazingly talented team to build sales and drive buzz while simultaneously creating awareness for the East Coast Wings & Grill franchise opportunity.”
With a focus on great-tasting, freshly prepared food, the burgeoning brand delivers a warm and inviting décor that leaves customers feeling a sense of community. And while its 75 flavors and 675 combinations of buffalo style wings remain a staple of the concept, East Coast Wings & Grill’s six-page menu also includes such casual dining fare as burgers, salads, sandwiches, ribs and more.
About East Coast Wings & Grill
East Coast Wings & Grill, a fast growing polished casual family dining franchise with an emphasis on buffalo wings, has 82 locations currently operating or in various stages of development. The franchise concept not only caters to the chicken wing lover by offering 75 different flavors of chicken wings in any of nine heat intensities, but also salads, wraps, sandwiches, burgers and more, all using fresh, not frozen ingredients.
