Bob Barry, who led Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille for over a decade, is taking over as CEO of a Greenbelt-based dry cleaning chain.
Barry has served on ZIPS Dry Cleaners’ board of directors for eight years and will now take over as president and CEO of the company, effective immediately, ZIPS announced Monday. Barry replaces Drew Ritger, a former Sonic Corp. executive who led ZIPS for three and a half years and has accepted a job with “a midwestern chain of gourmet coffee restaurants,” according to a release.
Barry spent 12 years at Greene Turtle, growing the chain to nearly 50 franchised and company-owned restaurants before stepping down in mid-2019. At the time, Greene Turtle did not disclose Barry’s reasons for leaving. In its release, ZIPS said Barry has recently been an investor and adviser for several local companies, including Baltimore-based Truevelop, Columbia-based Lost Ark Distilling Co. and Columbia Treatment Center. Prior to joining Greene Turtle, Barry spent nine years as president of Ms. Desserts/The Great Cookie, and also worked at Marriott Corp. and W.R. Grace & Co.
At ZIPS, Barry will focus on leading the company out of the pandemic and growing its brand by increasing store profitability, rolling out new programs and developing expansion strategies for both existing and new markets, according to a release.
“We are thrilled to have Bob step up to the helm of our organization,” said Jim Bolduc, ZIPS board chairman, in a statement. “He is a proven leader and strategic business developer who has been a valued and respected member of our board for almost a decade. We look forward to leveraging his experience in the restaurant/hospitality field and his many connections, especially throughout our Maryland/DC base. With Bob’s leadership, ZIPS will emerge from the pandemic strong and with a bright future.”
Started in 1996, ZIPS currently has 70 locations in 10 states and Washington, D.C., with plans to open another 150 locations in the next three years. ZIPS has a same-day, one-price model, with any item costing $2.49 to dry clean. The company has been franchising locations since 2006 and expects to get a boost from a 10-location deal signed in Charlotte, North Carolina, just prior to the pandemic, and a recently signed deal for 20 stores in the Atlanta area, according to a release.
