Executive Spotlight: Who Is Mike Evans, CEO of Fresh Dining Concepts (Green Shoot Brands)? (2027)
Mike Evans is the chief executive of Fresh Dining Concepts, the multi-brand restaurant franchisee that announced in October 2026 that it had rebranded as Green Shoot Brands. Fresh Dining began as a large franchisee of Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Jamba and Carvel. Evans joined as CEO in 2024 after founder and previous CEO Luis San Miguel stepped down, bringing a background at Pizza Hut, Jem Restaurant Group and the IHOP franchisee ACG Peak Restaurant Partners. Under that leadership the company has added Nothing Bundt Cakes, Little Caesars, PopUp Bagels and Dave's Hot Chicken, and the company's own site now counts about 410 open units across 9 brands.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from trade press, a company press release and the company's own website. The company's rebrand statement says the new name does not affect its ownership, leadership or existing franchise relationships.
Current role and company
The Green Shoot Brands team page lists Mike Evans as Chief Executive Officer, leading the company across more than 400 units and 9 brands. The site describes the company as "formerly Fresh Dining Concepts." The October 2026 rebrand release is datelined Coral Gables, Florida, and calls the company a diversified multi-brand operator backed by evergreen capital, meaning no fund clock or exit timeline. Some older listings place the company in Miami.
- CompanyGreen Shoot Brands, formerly Fresh Dining Concepts; a multi-brand franchisee headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida per its October 2026 release.
- TitleChief Executive Officer (company website and release).
- Brands (October 2026 release)Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Dave's Hot Chicken, Jamba, Little Caesars Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes and PopUp Bagels. The company site also lists Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint as a ninth brand.
- Franchisor relationshipThe Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Jamba and Carvel stores are franchised from GoTo Foods, formerly Focus Brands, per Franchise Times.
Career path
Franchise Times, in its 2024 report on the hire, says Evans has more than 30 years of restaurant industry experience. The company website describes 25-plus years in quick service. The two counts differ, so this page does not pick one.
- Pizza Hut and Yum Brands. Franchise Times says Evans started at Yum Brands with Pizza Hut and spent 18 years there, 12 of them on the corporate side, where the role included helping launch the WingStreet concept.
- Jem Restaurant Group. Evans then moved to the operator side with Jem Restaurant Group, described by Franchise Times as a large operator in the southeast.
- ACG Peak Restaurant Partners. Franchise Times says Evans later joined ACG Peak Restaurant Partners in Texas, which it calls the largest IHOP franchisee in the country with 124 units across 11 states, and served as its CEO for about 10 years. The company website calls it ACG Texas.
- 2024: Fresh Dining Concepts. Franchise Times says Evans joined Fresh Dining Concepts as CEO in August 2024 after Luis San Miguel announced his retirement. Evans told the magazine the company reached out about the role.
What he is known for
- Leading the company into its second phase. The company's timeline on its website labels 2024, when Evans joined as CEO, as the start of phase two: diversifying the portfolio beyond the original GoTo Foods snack brands.
- New brand platforms. According to the same timeline, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Little Caesars were added in 2025, and PopUp Bagels, Dave's Hot Chicken and Jack Brown's in 2026.
- The Jack Brown's deal. Restaurant Business (via Nation's Restaurant News) reported in October 2026 that Green Shoot had reportedly acquired the 22-unit Jack Brown's chain, and that the company began diversifying after Evans joined. The report says neither company responded to requests for comment.
- The 2026 rebrand. In the October 2026 release, Evans is quoted saying the new name does not change how the company shows up in its restaurants and that the goal is to be the franchisee of choice for every brand it operates.
Leadership style and philosophy
All of this section comes from Evans's own words in Franchise Times and the company release. In the Franchise Times interview, Evans said the job appealed because the company had grown 40 percent the prior year, mainly through acquisition, and had a strong board and investors. Evans described a goal of reaching 500 units over the next three to four years, with a healthy dose of acquisitions.
On how to scale, Evans said: "I think if you have a great playbook around communication, expectations, standards and people development, it enables companies to scale and be successful at a larger level." Evans added that the main reason for the hire was to put the right tools, systems, people and infrastructure in place, work Evans said had been done before.
Evans also named an early priority: building ties with leadership at GoTo Foods and taking part in the brands' franchisee advisory councils and committees. In the 2026 release, Evans credited general managers and their teams for delivering for guests, which the company ties to three commitments: perfect product, amazing hospitality and great value.
Key numbers
Figures are company-reported or trade-press-reported, each with its period. Unit counts differ by source and date because the company is acquiring quickly.
- 2019Company-reported: 40 units and about $35 million in sales at the start (company website). The release also says 40 Auntie Anne's locations in 2019.
- 2023Company-reported: 215 units and $180 million-plus in sales (company website timeline).
- Autumn 2024Franchise Times: 235 locations across four brands, after about 40 percent growth in the prior year, per Evans.
- October 12, 2026Company-reported release: 388 locations across eight brands in 21 states and Washington, D.C.; expects more than $500 million in system sales on a year-end 2026 run-rate basis; ranks among the 30 largest franchisees in the U.S.
- October 2026 (website)Company-reported: 410 open units, 9 brands, 27 states plus D.C., $500 million-plus system sales. California is the largest market at 133 units.
Questions people ask
Who is Mike Evans of Fresh Dining Concepts?
Mike Evans is the CEO of Fresh Dining Concepts, which rebranded in October 2026 as Green Shoot Brands. The company is a multi-brand franchisee that includes Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Jamba and Carvel. This is a different person from the football player of the same name.
Is Fresh Dining Concepts the same as Green Shoot Brands?
Yes. Green Shoot Brands calls itself formerly Fresh Dining Concepts, and its release says the rebrand does not affect ownership, leadership or existing franchise relationships.
When did Mike Evans become CEO?
Franchise Times reported that Evans joined in August 2024 after founder and previous CEO Luis San Miguel stepped down. The company website also lists 2024 as the year Evans joined.
What did Mike Evans do before this role?
Franchise Times says Evans spent 18 years in the Pizza Hut system under Yum Brands, worked at Jem Restaurant Group, and then was CEO for about 10 years of ACG Peak Restaurant Partners, a large IHOP franchisee in Texas.
What brands does the company operate?
The October 2026 release lists Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Dave's Hot Chicken, Jamba, Little Caesars Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes and PopUp Bagels. The company website also counts Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint.
How big is the company?
Its website reports 410 open units across 9 brands and 27 states plus D.C. as of October 2026. An earlier October 2026 release said 388 locations across eight brands. Counts move quickly, so check the company.
Sources
- Franchise Times: New CEO Sees More Growth Ahead for Large Auntie Anne's Franchisee (Franchise Talent, 2024) · Career path, hiring, quotes, 2024 unit count; hero photo whose image file is named for Evans
- Green Shoot Brands (formerly Fresh Dining Concepts): company website · Title, short bio, timeline, October 2026 unit and brand counts
- Franchising.com: Multi-Brand Restaurant Operator Fresh Dining Concepts Rebrands as Green Shoot Brands (Oct 12, 2026) · Rebrand, headquarters, brand list, 388-location count, Evans quote
- Nation's Restaurant News / Restaurant Business: Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint acquired by Green Shoot Brands (Oct 27, 2026) · Jack Brown's deal, company history, Evans's 2024 arrival
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 2, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. Franchise Times says the company was founded in 2015, while the company's own materials say 2019, so this page avoids stating a founding year of its own. The hero photo is a solo portrait from the Franchise Times article about Evans's hiring, whose image file is named for him, placed on a blurred background to fit the page format. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Franchise Times