Building on recent global growth including newly opened Arby’s restaurants in southeastern Mexico and the first Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop in Morocco, Atlanta-based Inspire Brands is bringing in a new hire to “super-charge” its international franchise growth.
Frank Sickelsmith, who has more than 30 years of experience in the sector, will join the company as chief development officer of international, building out a team responsible for rapid global expansion. See open internationally focused roles
Inspire already has seen considerable momentum outside the U.S., where its brands opened 800 locations last year, including the 1,000th Baskin-Robbins store operated by long-time partner Galadari Ice Cream Co., a Dubai-based licensee that has built a massive portfolio of restaurants across the Middle East, North Africa and Australia since opening its first store in 1979. Inspire acquired Dunkin’ Brands Group, which included both Dunkin’ doughnut and coffee shops and Baskin-Robbins, for $11.3 billion in a deal closed in late 2020.
Mr. Sickelsmith comes to the company from Autogrill Group, an Italian company known as HMShost in North America, where he served as global vice president for brand development. Working with the publicly traded operator of food and beverage services in airports and other travel locations, he handled relationships with brands like Starbucks, Burger King and Coca-Cola Co.
In addition to Arby’s, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins, Inspire owns Sonic drive-ins, sports bar concept Buffalo Wild Wings (already present in nine ex-U.S. markets) and Jimmy John’s sandwich shops.