Glen Brandeburg Joins PrimoHoagies To Build Franchise Support Systems

PrimoHoagies has appointed Glen Brandeburg as chief operating officer, giving the family-owned sandwich franchise an operations veteran as it tries to scale without losing the product standards that built the brand. The appointment was announced on 4 August and reported across franchise industry coverage on 5 August.

PrimoHoagies said Brandeburg brings more than three decades of restaurant leadership experience across corporate operations, franchise support, field leadership, executive management and multi-brand franchise operations. His assignment is to build operating systems, franchise support infrastructure and execution discipline that can help the brand grow while preserving quality.

That is a practical franchise challenge. Many restaurant franchisors can sell the excitement of growth. Fewer can keep execution consistent as new restaurants open in more markets. For PrimoHoagies, the risk is especially clear because the brand's identity rests on fresh ingredients, Italian specialty sandwiches and a loyal customer base that expects the same product experience from store to store. If a growing franchise system lets operations drift, the damage can show up first in franchisee profitability, then in customer reviews and eventually in development momentum.

Brandeburg's background is relevant because he has worked on both sides of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. The company said he held senior roles at Wendy's, including work across major markets and a division vice president role overseeing operations across about 800 restaurants. He later moved into restaurant services work and then served as president within a multi-brand restaurant organization operating Wendy's, Papa John's and a regional concept. That combination gives him exposure to corporate standards, field execution and franchisee economics.

PrimoHoagies framed the appointment as the latest step in a broader leadership buildout. The company pointed to Angela Coppler as senior vice president of development, Alex Chu as chief financial officer, Madalyn Weintraub as vice president of marketing and Brandeburg as chief operating officer. Nicholas Papanier Jr., owner, president and chief executive, said the team is designed so development, finance, marketing and operations support one another rather than operate separately.

The franchisee angle is the most important part of the story. PrimoHoagies listed three operating priorities under Brandeburg: making great restaurants repeatable, simplifying operations for franchisees and protecting the Primo standard. Those phrases can sound routine, but they map to real pressure points. Franchisees need playbooks they can actually use, reporting tools that clarify decisions, operations support that reduces complexity and standards that protect the brand without making restaurants harder to run.

The appointment also reflects a wider shift in restaurant franchising. Operators are more selective, buildout costs remain high and labor pressure continues to shape store-level economics. A franchisor that wants stronger growth has to prove it can support unit profitability, not just provide a recognizable logo. That is why operations leadership has become a development issue. New franchise candidates look at whether a system can help them open, train, market, manage costs and maintain consistency after the ribbon cutting.

For PrimoHoagies, Brandeburg's success will be measured by what franchisees experience in the field. If the new operating systems make restaurants easier to run, improve visibility and protect food quality, the appointment can support disciplined expansion. If the support feels abstract or too corporate, it will not move the business. The company has made a clear bet that its next growth chapter depends on operating discipline as much as sales momentum.

"Operations leadership has become a development issue."