European Wax Center, Inc. (NASDAQ: EWCZ) (the “Company” or
“European Wax Center”), the leading franchisor and operator of
out-of-home waxing services in the United States, today announced
that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has appointed Chris
Morris as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board,
effective January 8, 2025. Mr. Morris succeeds David Berg, who will
step down as CEO. Mr. Berg will remain a member of the Board and
work closely with Mr. Morris in this role.
Mr. Morris brings more than 25 years of experience operating,
developing and reinvigorating consumer brands, including franchise
businesses. Most recently, he was CEO of Dave & Buster's
(NASDAQ: PLAY), an owner and operator of entertainment and dining
venues, where he led the opening of 30 new locations and
established an international expansion pipeline during his tenure.
He previously served as CEO of Main Event, overseeing a period of
significant revenue, profitability and unit growth, in addition to
its successful 2022 merger with Dave & Buster’s. Prior to Main
Event, Mr. Morris served as president of California Pizza Kitchen,
where he played a key role in the revitalization of the 32-year-old
brand, returning it to positive comparable store sales.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chris Morris as the next CEO of
European Wax Center,” said Andrew Crawford, Director and Chair of
the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee. “He is a consumer
industry expert with deep experience in unit development,
operational execution and brand marketing, and he brings a clear
understanding of the needs of local operators. The Board is
confident Chris is the right leader to guide European Wax Center
through its next chapter.”
“On behalf of the Board, I also want to sincerely thank David
Berg for stepping back into this role to lead the Company during a
critical transitional period. David acted decisively to position
European Wax Center for long-term success, strategically realigning
the organization and reallocating resources to its core business,”
Crawford added. “The Board looks forward to working closely with
both David and Chris.”
“It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of European Wax Center
for a second time, and I am excited to partner with Chris as a
member of the Board,” said Mr. Berg. “I’ve spent the last four
months taking proactive measures to reorient European Wax Center
for sustainable long-term growth, and I believe we’ve established a
strong foundation for Chris to build upon in the months and years
ahead. The Board and I agree that his relevant experience, skill
set and strong track record will enable him to unlock our full
potential.”
“I am honored and excited to lead European Wax Center during a
pivotal time for the Company,” said Mr. Morris. “This is an iconic
brand with a one-of-a-kind business model that is well-positioned
to capitalize on the significant white space opportunities ahead. I
look forward to working with the Board and the entire European Wax
Center team to execute our strategy and drive value for our
shareholders, franchisees and associates.”
Fiscal 2024 OutlookThe Company is reaffirming
its fiscal 2024 outlook previously provided on November 14,
2024.
About Chris MorrisMr. Morris most recently
served as CEO and Board member of Dave & Buster’s since 2022.
Prior to its merger with Dave & Buster’s, he was CEO of Main
Event from 2018 to 2022. Mr. Morris also previously served as
president of California Pizza Kitchen from 2014 to 2018, executive
vice president and chief financial officer of On the Border from
2010 to 2014, and chief financial officer of CEC Entertainment, the
parent company of Chuck E. Cheese’s, from 2004 to 2010. He holds an
MBA from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree from
Missouri State University.
About European Wax Center, Inc.European Wax
Center, Inc. (NASDAQ: EWCZ) is the leading franchisor and operator
of out-of-home waxing services in the United States. European Wax
Center locations perform more than 23 million services per year,
providing guests with an unparalleled, professional personal care
experience administered by highly trained wax specialists within
the privacy of clean, individual waxing suites. The Company
continues to revolutionize the waxing industry with its innovative
Comfort Wax® formulated with the highest quality ingredients to
make waxing a more efficient and relatively painless experience,
along with its collection of proprietary products to help enhance
and extend waxing results. By leading with its values – We Care
About Each Other, We Do the Right Thing, We Delight Our Guests, and
We Have Fun While Being Awesome – the Company is proud to be
Certified™ by Great Place to Work®. European Wax Center, Inc. was
founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas. Its network,
which now includes more than 1,000 centers in 45 states, generated
sales of $955 million in fiscal 2023. For more information,
including how to receive your first wax free, please
visit: https://waxcenter.com.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release
includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements in this press release include but are not limited to
European Wax Center, Inc.’s strategy, outlook and growth prospects,
including but not limited to statements under the heading “Fiscal
2024 Outlook.” Words including “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,”
“could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,”
“potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” or
“would,” or, in each case, the negative thereof or other variations
thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or
information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans,
projections, objectives, performance or other characterizations of
future events or circumstances, including any underlying
assumptions, are forward-looking.
These forward-looking statements are based on current
expectations and beliefs. These statements are neither promises nor
guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other important factors that may cause the Company’s actual
results, performance or achievements to be materially different
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the
operational and financial results of its franchisees; the ability
of its franchisees to enter new markets, select appropriate sites
for new centers or open new centers; the effectiveness of the
Company’s marketing and advertising programs and the active
participation of franchisees in enhancing the value of its brand;
the failure of its franchisees to participate in and comply with
its agreements, business model and policies; the Company’s and its
franchisees’ ability to attract and retain guests; the effect of
social media on the Company’s reputation; the Company’s ability to
compete with other industry participants and respond to market
trends and changes in consumer preferences; the effect of the
Company’s planned growth on its management, employees, information
systems and internal controls; the Company’s ability to retain of
effectively respond to a loss of key executives; a significant
failure, interruptions or security breach of the Company’s computer
systems or information technology; the Company and its franchisees’
ability to attract, train, and retain talented wax specialists and
managers; changes in the availability or cost of labor; the
Company’s ability to retain its franchisees and to maintain the
quality of existing franchisees; failure of the Company’s
franchisees to implement business development plans; the ability of
the Company’s limited key suppliers, including international
suppliers, and distribution centers to deliver its products;
changes in supply costs and decreases in the Company’s product
sourcing revenue; the Company’s ability to adequately protect its
intellectual property; the Company’s substantial indebtedness; the
impact of paying some of the Company’s pre-IPO owners for certain
tax benefits it may claim; changes in general economic and business
conditions; the Company’s and its franchisees’ ability to comply
with existing and future health, employment and other governmental
regulations; complaints or litigation that may adversely affect the
Company’s business and reputation; the seasonality of the Company’s
business resulting in fluctuations in its results of operations;
the impact of global crises on the Company’s operations and
financial performance; the impact of inflation and rising interest
rates on the Company’s business; the Company’s access to sources of
liquidity and capital to finance its continued operations and
growth strategy and the other important factors discussed under the
caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended January 6, 2024 and the Company’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended October 5, 2024, each
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as
such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings
with the SEC, accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and
Investors Relations section of the Company’s website at
www.waxcenter.com.These and other important factors could cause
actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any
forward-looking statement that the Company makes in this press
release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as
required by law, the Company does not have any obligation to update
or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any
of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Contact European Wax Center,
Inc.Bethany JohnsBethany.Johns@myewc.com469-270-6888
Media Contacts Edelman Smithfield Josh Hochberg
& Ashna Vasa EWCIR@edelman.com
Zeno Group Shannon Powell
shannon.powell@zenogroup.com312-752-6851
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