Kat Cole dropped out of college, worked as a Hooters waitress at 18 and became a VP by 26 before leading Cinnabon

At 19 Kat Cole was traveling overseas to help open Hooters franchises while struggling to keep up with college classes. Two years earlier she had started at the restaurant chain as a hostess and by 26 she was a vice president at Hooters. Eventually she reached top of Focus Brands and was in charge of turning around Cinnabon.

Cole's rise through the restaurant industry was shaped by hands-on experience, international expansion and leadership roles outside her day job. When she became Cinnabon's president in 2010 the brand was struggling with years of declining sales. She spent her first weeks working in its bakeries and asking employees, franchise owners and customers what needed to change.

In an interview with Forbes, Cole discussed her path from hourly restaurant worker to senior executive, the decisions that helped revive Cinnabon and how Focus Brands responded when the COVID-19 pandemic threatened its restaurant network.

Kat Cole Rise From Hooters Hostess to Vice President by 26

Cole grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. She was the oldest of three sisters in a single-parent household. She began working in malls at 15 and joined Hooters as a hostess at 17. At 18, while still in high school, she became a waitress.

By 19, she was helping launch Hooters franchises overseas. One assignment took her to Australia for the chain's first franchise there, followed by openings in Mexico and South America.

The frequent travel made college difficult to manage. Cole had planned to study engineering and then attend law school but she left college just short of completing her associate degree because she was rarely on campus. Between franchise openings, she continued working as a waitress and cook.

Her international experience in training, operations and franchise launches led to a corporate position at Hooters when she was 20. She moved to Atlanta for the job and advanced as the company expanded. By 26, she was one of its vice presidents at a business generating $800 million in revenue, according to the Forbes interview.

How Industry Leadership Helped Her Reach Cinnabon

Cole eventually returned to school and attended an executive MBA program at nights and on weekends. She earned a master's degree without completing a bachelor's degree first, as per her interview with Forbes.

Alongside her work at Hooters, she took leadership roles in restaurant industry organizations such as Georgia Restaurant Association and Women's Foodservice Forum. She told Forbes, "Those industry leadership roles, by their very nature, put me in front of and around other industry leaders on a regular basis. And so I was no longer just whatever was on my resume."

That network helped bring her to the attention of Focus Brands and its private equity owner, Roark. She interviewed for the Cinnabon presidency in 2010 and received an offer in May, but did not start until October.

Cole had promised Hooters' chief executive that she would stay through the company's sale process. Focus Brands held the position for her until she could make the move.

Cinnabon Was Losing Sales When Cole Took Over

Cinnabon had been experiencing several years of sales declines when Cole became president as its heavy presence in shopping malls and airports left it exposed as consumers cut back on discretionary spending during the recession.

The brand still had strong recognition, but customers were not visiting often enough. Cole recalled hearing people say they loved Cinnabon but had not been to one in years.

Her first move was to spend time in the business itself. For much of her first 60 days, she worked in franchise bakeries, rolled cinnamon rolls, took out trash and spoke with employees, owners and customers.

She asked three questions repeatedly: What was the business spending time, money and energy on that no longer added value? When was it saying no to employees or customers? And what was the one change people would make to improve the business?

The answers became a practical list of priorities. Cole said the work led to menu and design initiatives, investment campaigns, licensing efforts and a broader approach to reaching customers.

COVID-19 Forced Focus Brands to Protect Cash and Keep Stores Running

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Cole was president and chief operating officer of Focus Brands. Its portfolio included Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Schlotzsky's and Moe's Southwest Grill.

The group operated across 60 countries, with 7000 locations and another 100000 points of retail distribution for its channel products, according to the interview.

In the early weeks of the pandemic, Cole said that, "Our leadership mantra was preserve safety. Safety of employees, safety of managers, safety of customers, safety of community and preserve cash," as per Forbes.

Supply shortages and rapidly changing government rules added to the pressure. The company's international operations in Asia provided some warning that the disruption was spreading, but it remained difficult to predict how quickly other markets would be affected.

The impact varied by brand. Mall-based businesses such as Auntie Anne's faced difficulties as shopping centers closed, while Schlotzsky's had an advantage because 80% of its locations had drive-thrus, Cole said.