Austin's Easy Tiger Appoints New CEO and Announces Growth Plans for Austin's South Lamar Neighborhood

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Feb 18, 2020, 11:04 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Easy Tiger®, recently featured on PBS tasteMAKERS and winner of numerous awards for its popular bakery and beer gardens, announced today that it is expanding with a new Chief Executive Officer and a new 15,000 square foot Bake Shop and Beer Garden along Austin's red-hot South Lamar corridor.

New CEO Mike Stitt and Head Doughpuncher David Norman at the original Easy Tiger Bake Shop and Beer Garden, on Waller Creek in downtown Austin. Photo: Sydney Gawlik

Mike Stitt will take over as Easy Tiger's new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Stitt was previously CEO of Invisible Ink Tattoo Removers, where he oversaw a merger and growth of the company's national retail brand. Prior to that, Stitt was President, North America of Travelzoo Inc. where he launched and scaled the company's restaurant, spa, and activity business to more than 10,000 merchants. He holds a B.A. in Advertising from Iowa State University and earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

"I am humbled to partner with such an outstanding team, especially our founder and Head Doughpuncher, David Norman, to lead one of Austin's most loved brands. I am already rolling up my sleeves and getting to work with our 180 passionate teammates," said Stitt.

"Easy Tiger already serves more than 500,000 guests every year, and 50,000 Austinites eat our high-quality bread every day at our restaurants, the airport, the convention center, Whole Foods Market and more than 100 Austin-area restaurants and hotels. My focus is to ensure we maintain our high-quality standards and down-to-earth culture, as we scale."

Stitt's appointment comes on the back of immediate expansion plans for Austin's Easy Tiger. The company signed a lease to open its third large-scale Bake Shop and Beer Garden in South Austin (3508 South Lamar, Austin, Texas 78704) - overlooking the Barton Creek Greenbelt - and will be investing in a renovation of the space previously occupied by Red's Porch, once designs and permits are approved. The company expects to open the South Lamar location in winter 2020, and Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is designing the project.

Highlights of the new South Lamar location will include:

Extensive Beer Garden: Offering a little something for everyone, including live music and sociable live TV events that bring people together, plus kid- and dog-friendly areas.
Working Bakery and Bake Shop: Famous artisan bread and pastries baked on-site for in-house, catering or takeaway consumption.
Market: Featuring a curated selection of local favorites and everyday staples, perfect for curbside pickup and on-the-go needs, when you don't have time to slow down and stay awhile.
The Deck: A showstopping view of Austin's Barton Creek Greenbelt and Hill Country horizon; available for private party bookings and leisurely, come-as-you-are enjoyment.
Live Oak Grove: Park-like setting featuring a natural-environment patio and picnic area where guests can relax outside with takeaway food and beverage and host events like birthday parties.
Bakery Classroom: Perfect for extensive workshops, causal classes and special guest instructors. Rent the private space for corporate team-building, industry training or an intimate celebration.

Easy Tiger is backed by Austin investment firms, Pixiu Investments, the investment firm of Eddie Margain and Chris Loughlin, and Prophet Capital Asset Management, the investment firm of Bobby Epstein.

Easy Tiger

Easy Tiger was founded in Austin, Texas in 2012. Today the company has three locations for its bake shop and beer garden concepts in Downtown Austin (709 E 6^th Street, Austin, TX 78701, on Waller Creek), in North Austin (6406 N Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Austin, TX 78752, at at The LINC) and in Cedar Park (5001 183 Toll Road, Building A, Ste 100, Cedar Park, TX 78613, inside Whole Foods Market). Easy Tiger also operates a fresh daily wholesale bakery business, supplying bread to hundreds of partners including 24 Diner, Annie's Cafe, Austin Country Club, Austin Convention Center, Epicerie, Foodheads, Fresh Plus, Olive and June, Cipollina, Contigo, Barlata Tapas Bar, Biderman's Deli, Second Bar and Kitchen, North Italia, Parkside, Four Seasons Austin, Hotel Van Zandt, Whole Foods Market and many more. Easy Tiger employs 180 people in Austin and sources its premium artisan flours and ingredients from local and ethical suppliers. In November 2019, Austin Chronicle readers awarded Easy Tiger Best Bakery, Best Patio and Best Happy Hour in Austin. In January 2020, Easy Tiger was featured on PBS tasteMAKERS. For more information on the award-winning Easy Tiger experience, visit our website at www.easytigerusa.com or visit one of our locations today!