Snooze Hires Amy Hom as COO to Boost Hospitality

A Hire With More Weight Than Usual

Snooze Eatery has brought in Amy Hom as its new chief operating officer, a hire that lands with more weight than the typical executive reshuffle. Hom's tenure officially begins Sept. 28, and she arrives with more than two decades of restaurant and hospitality experience built across some of the industry's most recognizable brands. The timing matters: Snooze is framing this as groundwork for its next chapter, not a routine backfill.

A Resume Spanning Every Format

Hom's resume reads like a tour of modern restaurant operations. She joins Snooze directly from her role as COO of Barcelona Wine Bar, with earlier leadership stops at Bluestone Lane, REEF, sweetgreen, Red Robin, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and California Pizza Kitchen. That span, fast casual to full service to catering, has given her a working knowledge of how hospitality holds up (or doesn't) across very different formats and guest expectations.

At Snooze, she'll oversee restaurant operations and work directly with field leaders and teams, with a mandate centered on raising hospitality standards, tightening operational accountability, and making sure individual restaurants have what they need to deliver consistently.

Kern Points to Culture and Discipline

CEO Josh Kern didn't frame the hire in vague terms. "Amy understands that great restaurant operations start with great people and ultimately show up in the guest experience," Kern said. "She knows how to create accountability and operational discipline while developing leaders and protecting what makes a brand special. That combination is incredibly important for Snooze. As we look ahead, Amy will help us raise the bar on hospitality and execution while staying true to the culture and experience our Snoozers and guests love."

The reference to "Snoozers," the company's internal term for its staff, signals a deliberate effort to pair operational rigor with cultural continuity rather than treat them as competing priorities.

Presence Over Policy

Hom's own description of the role leans heavily on presence over policy. "I've always believed that great restaurant operations start with great people," she said. "What drew me to Snooze is the passion its teams have for hospitality and the guest experience. My focus will be on spending time in our restaurants, listening to our teams, developing our leaders and making sure they have what they need to deliver at a high level every day. Snooze has something special, and I'm excited to help build on it."

That emphasis on time spent in restaurants rather than from behind a desk tracks with the people-first philosophy she's carried through multi-brand operating environments throughout her career.

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Credentials That Travel With Her

Her standing in the industry extends well past title changes on a resume. Hom co-founded LEAD, an organization focused on leadership education, mentorship, and connection within the restaurant business, and she holds board positions with Women in Restaurant Leadership, GLEAM Network, and the Texas Restaurant Association, along with membership in the Fast Casual Industry Council.

She's been named to the Top 30 Women in Food list multiple times and recognized as a Top 25 Fast Casual Executive, and she speaks regularly on hospitality, leadership, and workplace culture. That kind of sustained visibility among peers doesn't guarantee operational success, but it does suggest Snooze is bringing in someone whose credibility travels with her.

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Balancing Discipline and Culture While Scaling

For a brand describing this moment as preparation for its next growth phase, pairing an operator with Hom's track record of developing leaders carries implications beyond day-to-day execution. Companies scaling across new markets often struggle to protect the culture that made them distinct in the first place.

Snooze's leadership appears to be betting that operational discipline and cultural preservation aren't opposing forces, and that the right operator can hold both together as the brand expands.

What The Announcement Leaves Out

What's missing from the announcement is any specificity on pace. Snooze hasn't said how quickly changes under Hom will roll out, which markets or unit counts are tied to its growth ambitions, or what metrics will define success in hospitality standards and operational accountability.

Those details will likely surface as Hom settles into the role, and they're worth watching closely given how much weight this hire is being asked to carry.