Bagels & Co. Taps Restaurant Industry Veteran Kevin Armantrout as New COO

Kevin Armantrout, who has held executive roles with several nationally recognized brands, has been named Chief Operating Officer for Bagels & Co. which has several locations now open in Pennsylvania and Florida with plans to expand to additional cities across the U.S.

Armantrout has built a distinguished career leading high-growth restaurant and hospitality brands through expansion, operational transformation and cultural renewal. His extensive experience in management, site selection, construction and building a strong foundation for franchising from the ground up are an asset to Bagels & Co.

Previously Armantrout served as President and COO of Another Broken Egg Café and Franchise President & Corporate Vice President of Operations for Ruth’s Chris Steak House. He also served as President and COO of ParkerStark Management where he was responsible for multi-unit, multi-state operations and concept development for three new brands and provided executive project management and led teams as Principal, CEO and COO of Amend Performance Solutions. Throughout his career Armantrout led multi-unit operations across the country, overseeing large-scale profit and loss statements, developing new concepts and building scalable infrastructure to support both corporate and franchise growth.

“I began in the restaurant business as a dishwasher when I was 13 years old and have never worked in another industry,” Armantrout said. “Joining Bagels & Co. is a natural progression in my career. I will apply all of my experiences, use everything in my toolbox and tap into my network of connections. An opportunity like this doesn’t come around often for someone with my background. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. I can see Bagels & Co. becoming a major player and brand leader in the bagel space.”

The Oviedo, Florida resident is known for his ability to balance strategy with empathy. Armantrout is a culture-first leader who believes operational excellence and hospitality begin with people. His leadership philosophy centers on mentorship, accountability and creating environments where teams feel valued, engaged and empowered to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

“It’s not everyday someone with a resume like Kevin’s lands on my desk. I feel so fortunate to have met him, and now have him as a partner,” said Bagels & Co. President and CEO Mike Marsh. “We see eye-to-eye, and he is just the person Bagels & Co. needs to reach our goals and take the company to the next level.”

Armantrout took courses in hotel, restaurant and tourism administration at Loyola University New Orleans. A thought leader in the industry, he has served as vice president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association Board and was a member of the Florida Restaurant Association State Board. He was also vice president of Ruth’s Chris Steak House’s Franchise Board, president of Another Broken Egg Café’s Franchise Board and on the Texas Restaurant Association’s Super Bowl XLVI Host Committee. He was also a founding member of the East Bay Chapter of the California Restaurant Association State Board.

A devoted husband and father, Armantrout values family, faith and balance. He credits his success to strong relationships, a service mindset and an unwavering belief that leadership is about helping others become their best. He believes great companies are built by people who love what they do and still make it home for dinner with the family.

Bagels & Co. plans to expand to additional cities across the U.S., including in the college towns of Columbus, Ohio, Gainesville, Florida and Tempe, Arizona. The popular quick-serve, family-friendly bagel shop is known for having more than a dozen varieties of Brooklyn-style bagels with flavors that include French toast, cheddar habanero, everything, blueberry, asiago, cinnamon raisin, whole wheat and egg everything. Their vast selection of more than 25 eclectic cream cheese flavors that include maple bacon, birthday cake, black truffle, cookie monster, honey nut, sriracha scallion and vegan tofu have gone viral on social media. The café also offers a selection of breakfast sandwiches and lunch options, as well as coffee and specialty drinks from La Colombe.

Armantrout envisions pacing the brand’s growth at a purposeful, thoughtful and steady cadence to sustain the business long-term. He is already a big fan of Bagels & Co.’s The Classic Sandwich — lox, capers, tomato, cucumbers and onions — on an everything bagel schmeared with cream cheese.

“The bagels are so fresh and huge. They’re baked and crispy and light on the inside,” he said. “I’ve never had a bagel like that before. You can’t beat the price and the quality. I think that’s really a brand distinction for us.”

About Bagels & Co.

Bagels & Co. features an extensive menu of Brooklyn-style bagels, including creative seasonal flavors, that are baked fresh on-site daily along with 25 varieties of cream cheese, including bacon scallion, lox, black truffle, za'atar, jalapeno cheddar, sun dried tomato, cannoli and Oreo. The casual café also offers a selection of breakfast sandwiches and lunch options, as well as coffee and specialty drinks from La Colombe. All new Bagels & Co. locations will have indoor and/or outdoor seating, take-out and grab-and-go, plus online ordering on major delivery apps. The first several locations are now open in Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee with plans to expand to additional cities, including many large university towns, across the U.S. For more information, visit thebagelsandco.com and follow them on Instagram @thebagelsandco and Tik Tok.