Restaurant holding company fills newly created vice president roles

WOWorks, a St. Petersburg-based restaurant holding company whose brands include Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek, has tapped Cole Thompson, a classically trained chef, to fill the newly created role of vice president of culinary.

According to a news release, Thompson was educated at Johnson & Wales University’s culinary school and has more than 15 years of experience in various aspects of the food industry, including fine dining, fast-casual brands, and culinary research and development. Prior to joining WOWorks, he was the corporate executive chef at RaceTrac. His background also includes a stint as culinary research and development director at Moe’s Southwest Grille.