Pickleman’s Recruits Wawa Veteran Jim Morey to Drive Expansion

Jim Morey, a former executive at Wawa, Outback Steakhouse, and McDonald’s, has joined the executive advisory board of the Columbia-based fast-casual chain Pickleman’s. His appointment signals a push for aggressive growth, with the company targeting an opening pace of 30 or more new stores annually over the coming years.

Corp and Tech·September 3, 2026·reads: 561

Morey brings decades of experience in multi-unit operations and financial strategy to the brand. During his tenure at Wawa, he held roles including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing critical infrastructure from supply chains to enterprise strategy. His mandate at Pickleman’s centers on reinforcing unit-level economics, which he describes as the non-negotiable foundation for sustainable scaling.

Founder and CEO Doug Stritzel cited Morey’s track record of managing large-scale organizations as the primary driver for the hire. For franchisees, the strategy leans on a standardized operating playbook designed to ensure consistency across the brand’s footprint. Since its 2005 founding in Missouri, Pickleman’s has expanded to over 30 locations across the Midwest and South, focusing on a menu of sandwiches, soups, and pizzas. Morey believes the brand’s combination of product quality and operational discipline positions it to capture significant additional market share.