Chris Tomasso: How Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

HOW CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST

A 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Chris Tomasso joined First Watch in 2006 as its first Chief Marketing Officer before being promoted to President in 2015, then CEO in 2018. Chris led First Watch’s complete re-branding effort, which included a new brand positioning platform, new restaurant prototype and new company logo and tagline. He previously served as Vice President of Marketing for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., and he spent more than 10 years with Hard Rock Café International, one of the world’s most recognizable brands. There, he served as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. Chris holds a degree in Journalism with a specialty in advertising and public relations from the University of Central Florida. He was recognized on Nation’s Restaurants News’ 2018 Power List, named a Top Private Company CMO in 2012 by ExecRank and currently serves on the Marketing Advisory Board for Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry and the Board of Directors for the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executive Group. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the University of Central Florida’s Alumni Association.

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