Houston–(Business Wire) — Salata, the leading custom salad kitchen with 90 locations, announced Briton Smetzer as vice president of information technology. With a background in multiple industries, including fast casual restaurants, construction, ATMs, and technology services, Smetzer brings his expertise to the evolving concept to lead the modernization of Salata’s IT infrastructure.
Smetzer, most recently director of ATM management and software deployment for NCR, an information technology company that makes self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals and automated teller machines, will be the first person to fill Salata’s technology role as vice president of information. He is the third executive hired by the brand last year, including vice presidents of development and operations. His initial focus on the customizable salad kitchen brand was the rationalization, simplification and consolidation of the current IT environment.
“Building and enhancing our technology suite has been one of my main focuses for the company since I became President of Salata in 2019,” said Salata President Michelle Bythewood. “If we continue to scale the brand for exponential growth, It was imperative to build an executive leadership team with a growth and innovation-centric mindset. Briton ticked every box we were looking for to fill the role of Vice President of Information Technology.”
She continued, “His extensive experience in the fast casual industry and working with growing brands aligns with our goals as we look to the future. With Salata’s execution and development team in place, we can continue to advance our expansion plans into new and existing markets.” , to further Salata’s aggressive franchise growth plans.”
“I’m excited to join at a time when Salata’s top priority is growth and having the right building blocks in place from operations and development to technology for successful expansion,” said Smetzer.
The VP of Information Technology added, “We provide a variety of solutions and services across multiple channels of customer engagement, but we lack the centralization necessary to deliver the truly seamless omnichannel experience customers expect. Implementing a Successful Centralization Strategy It starts with IT consolidation and rationalization.”
As part of its growth strategy, Salata is actively looking for experienced business operators to open stores in the US Sunbelt and beyond. The ideal Salata partner has a local-first mentality, has their finger on the pulse of their community, and is eager to get involved in the development and operation of their restaurants. Candidates must also meet financial and experience requirements, have a solid understanding of the market, and be aligned with the brand’s aggressive growth plan.
Salata offers guests fully customizable custom salads and wraps, soups, organic teas and lemonades. All fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins are prepared and chopped in-house daily. With five salad bases, over 50 toppings and 11 homemade gluten-free dressings, guests can customize meals to suit their lifestyle. By downloading the Salata mobile app and signing up for Salata’s Tastemaker Rewards program, guests can earn bonus points with every purchase.
For more information or to find your local Salata, visit www.salata.com.
about salad
Founded in 2005, Houston-based Salata is a fully customizable, made-to-order salad and wrap concept that allows for endless combinations tailored to any lifestyle. Salata has 90 company-owned and franchised locations in Texas, Georgia, Southern California, Louisiana and North Carolina. For more information, visit salata.com or facebook.com/salatasalads. For franchising information, visit salata.com/grow-with-us/franchising.