Boxpark appoints Stable's David Gough as chief operations officer

Gough will assume responsibility for all site operations alongside the current head of operations in a role that will no doubt involve helping the street food company with its expansion plans over the next five years and beyond.

Boxpark plans to open around 10 new sites over the next five years in major UK cities​​, with locations including London, Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow being considered.

Despite the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the company says it remains focused on growth, with plans to launch offshoot concepts BoxOffice - a restaurant and co-working space - and BoxHall.

In July it said it was introducing​ ​dedicated spaces geared towards competitive socialising ​​concepts as part of its plans to get back on track following the Coronavirus lockdown.

In his most recent role at Stable Gough oversaw the growth of the pizza group to 17 sites prior to selling the business to ThreeJoes Pizza in June 2020. Other past roles include operations director for Good Company Inns and Olivo Restaurants, and senior operations manager at Pizza Express where he was responsible for 18 restaurant.

“As we focus on our growth strategy, David will be instrumental in ensuring everything is in place and that we are meeting our commercial objectives," says Boxpark CEO and founder Roger Wade.

Gough says he is taking on the role at a “transformational stage” in Boxpark’s growth.

“Despite the struggles facing the hospitality industry, I’m looking forward to bringing Boxpark’s vision to life and building a solid strategy to achieve our goals,” he says.

The new appointment follows closely behind Simon Bishop joining the company as property director last month.