Tempe, AZ (September 29th, 2009) — Sun Orchard, Inc. manufacturer of award-winning juices, beverages, margarita mixes and bar mixers, announced that industry veteran Rich Shuey has joined its Sales team as Director of National Accounts - Bar Beverages. In this capacity, Rich will be responsible for helping Sun Orchard expand it’s presence in the foodservice Beverage Alcohol category.
Rich most recently held the position of Sr. Manager, Beverage Operations and Development for Applebee’s Services, Inc. In this capacity, he served as lead operations and development manager for 1,984 corporate and franchise-owned full-service restaurants for both the non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverage categories. Previously, he served Applebee’s as the Manager of Beverage Procurement. Before joining Applebee’s, he worked with Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurants where he served first as a General Manager running full-service restaurants in Cincinnati and Columbus and then took over as the managing and development lead of the beverage category for the 230 corporate-owned locations of the full-service restaurant chain.
“Having had the chance to work with the team at Sun Orchard from the other side of the desk while working with Applebee's for years, I have always thought very highly of the quality of their products and the management team,” Rich says. “Not only do they have a great product base, they can customize using highly skilled, seasoned foodservice R&D resources. They make everything themselves, unlike others in the category, and start with premium, freshly squeezed juices or other premium ingredients. The company stands for quality and has a long-standing history of integrity and service. I'm proud to be a part of it.”
Bob Corlett, Sun Orchard’s VP of Sales & Marketing, says, “Sun Orchard is extremely excited to have Rich join our Sales Team and lead the effort to grow our presence in the Beverage Alcohol category. Our company growth is directly attributable to our ability to create great products that out-perform all national brands. Our products help our clients differentiate, and Rich’s experience understanding restaurant operations and product development enhances our ability to deliver on that promise.”