Pura Vida Miami adds three executives as it pushes national growth

Pura Vida Miami added three senior executives as it moved to build the kind of leadership bench a fast-growing restaurant brand needs before national expansion starts straining stores, kitchens and service standards. The Miami-based fast-casual chain said it was operating more than 50 locations across six states when it named Andrew McCaughan chief development officer, Chad Brauze chief culinary officer and Bruno Cardinali chief marketing officer.

The hires point to the specific pressure points that often show up when a regional concept starts opening far beyond its home market. McCaughan spent 16 years at Shake Shack and helped grow the chain from its original New York City location into an international brand, experience Pura Vida is clearly betting on as it looks to move into new markets without losing the hospitality feel that made the brand work in Miami. Pura Vida said McCaughan will drive thoughtful expansion, strengthen development capabilities and help make sure each new location delivers the company’s guest experience while supporting long-term growth.

Brauze’s arrival adds another layer. He previously led culinary at Sweetgreen and also worked at Burger King and Chipotle, a mix that suggests Pura Vida is looking for someone who understands both menu development and the operational reality of feeding guests at scale. For cooks and kitchen managers, that kind of hire can mean tighter prep systems, more disciplined recipes and a menu that may be easier or harder to execute depending on how much the company wants to standardize as it opens more doors.

Cardinali’s addition as chief marketing officer matters just as much on the floor as it does in the boardroom. Marketing drives traffic, and traffic shapes everything from labor needs to ticket times to the pace of service at the host stand and the bar. When a brand starts leaning into broader awareness, hourly workers often feel it first in busier shifts, higher guest expectations and more pressure on front-of-house and back-of-house coordination.

The leadership build-out follows Pura Vida’s strategic growth minority investment from TSG Consumer, announced Nov. 13, 2025, a deal meant to accelerate nationwide expansion while Omer and Jennifer Horev kept majority ownership and continued leading the company as chief executive officer and chief brand officer. Founded in 2012 in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood, Pura Vida has grown from a local concept into a chain with more than 50 locations across Florida, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and California. For restaurant workers, the signal is straightforward: more capital, more executives and more structure usually mean more openings, more training and more room for people who can keep pace as the brand scales.