Hooters announces appointment of Michael Arrowsmith as chief development officer; Arrowsmith most recently served as CDO of Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa

Sample article from our Foodservice Industry

August 11, 2022 (press release) –

Michael Arrowsmith, who has cultivated and expanded concepts in both the hospitality and home industry, assumes new development role for iconic restaurant brand

Hooters, the original American wing joint, today announced Michael Arrowsmith has joined the company as Chief Development Officer (CDO). In his role, he will oversee the growth of corporate and franchise locations of Hooters and hoots wings by Hooters, in the U.S. and globally. 

“The interest in our brand has never been stronger, and Michael will help drive our growth through company and franchise store development,” said HOA Brands LLC President and CEO Sal Melilli. 

Arrowsmith will recruit franchisees, identify new real estate sites and manage development services such as building design, construction and facilities plus brand standardization prior to the operations phase of the restaurants.

“I’m looking forward to ramping up unit growth and working with our leadership team, motivated multi-unit operators and others who have interest in expanding these concepts both domestically and internationally,” Arrowsmith added.

Arrowsmith has more than 25 years of experience growing companies, building teams, and setting strategy. He has spent his professional career expanding franchise brands and has held senior-level executive positions with leading concepts such as Denny’s, Captain D’s, and Checkers & Rally’s. 

Most recently, as CDO of Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa, he revamped and led a family-owned, primarily Florida franchise into new markets in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. New locations over the past three years have the highest average unit volume since the inception of the brand.

When Arrowsmith arrived at Captain D’s as CDO, the brand had neither established a franchise program nor opened a new corporate location in more than a decade. He built the development organization from scratch, resulting in a pipeline of more than 100 locations, with consistent annual double-digit openings, primarily from new multi-unit franchisees.

Arrowsmith brings a financial background to his new role on the HOA executive leadership team, which is helpful as he demonstrates why Hooters and hoots wings by Hooters are great investments for future franchisees.

About Hooters of America, LLC

Hooters of America, LLC, is the franchisor and operator of more than 410 Hooters restaurants in 38 states and 24 countries. Known for its world-famous Hooters Style chicken wings, the first Hooters opened its doors in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Expectations were so modest at the time that the simple fact the doors opened was deemed worthy of a toast. Since then, millions have been liberated from the ordinary at Hooters while enjoying great food, fun, and one-of-a-kind hospitality that can only be served up by the Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters, visit www.hooters.com or follow us at twitter.com/hooters, facebook.com/hooters or instagram.com/hooters.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.

See our dashboard in action - schedule an demo
Jason Irving
Jason Irving
- SVP Enterprise Solutions -

We offer built-to-order foodservice industry coverage for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation.

About Us

We deliver market news & information relevant to your business.

We monitor all your market drivers.

We aggregate, curate, filter and map your specific needs.

We deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.

Our Contacts

1990 S Bundy Dr. Suite #380,
Los Angeles, CA 90025

+1 (310) 553 0008

About Cookies On This Site

We collect data, including through use of cookies and similar technology ("cookies") that enchance the online experience. By clicking "I agree", you agree to our cookies, agree to bound by our Terms of Use, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. For more information on our data practices and how to exercise your privacy rights, please see our Privacy Policy.