Caribou Coffee, the national operator of premium coffeehouses, announced the appointment of Zane Thomas-Rogers as chief operations officer. The role will bring a greater focus on coffeehouse operations and excellence as warehouse management and logistics now fall under the supervision of Caribou’s supply chain team. The move follows senior leadership additions over the past year in finance, marketing, real estate development, supply chain and technology, as well as the company’s first chief commercial officer, Matt Reiter.

Thomas-Rogers joins Caribou Coffee with a strong background in leading large, complex, multi-unit restaurant operations. He was most recently with Raising Cane’s and steps into the chief operating officer role being vacated by John Walbrun. Walbrun announced his retirement recently, after more than eight years – a period that saw the company expand coffeehouse operations in the U.S., particularly in southeastern states, as well as the opening of a new, larger warehouse facility. Walbrun will stay at Caribou in a strategic advisor role for the next few months to help with the transition.

“We are evolving the Caribou organization to be flatter, with leaders who bring true subject matter expertise and are very hands-on with their teams” said Scott Kennedy, CEO, Caribou Coffee. “As part of our plan to deliver a consistent exceptional guest experience, maintain product excellence, and to grow our business in a smart, measured way, we’ve sharpened the way we think about our Chief Operations Officer role. Zane will bring an enhanced, field-centric approach, utilising his proven operational expertise and leadership, to ensure the strategic decisions we make at our Support Center positively impact and improve what we do in every coffeehouse and cup we serve. He also has a reputation as a steady, team-first and collaborative leader – all qualities that fit perfectly with our culture and how we run our business.”

Thomas-Rogers brings more than 15 years’ experience leading large, complex operations for major, company-owned and franchised restaurant brands. He has a successful track record of developing high-performing, supportive teams and bringing a data-led approach to operational decision-making — both critical as Caribou continues to invest in elevating the guest experience and technology that improves efficiency across the business.

“I could feel the momentum at Caribou from my earliest meetings with Scott and his team,” said Zane Thomas-Rogers, chief operations officer. “But then, attending our annual conference, BouCon, to hear the strategic plans already underway and spending a few weeks in coffeehouses with our managers and teams, I saw a companywide energy as we double down on exceptional guest experience and product quality. So, it’s a really exciting time to be taking the operational reigns.”