Smitty’s Management Team

Jim Weidinger

President

With over 25 years of foodservice leadership experience, Jim understands the inner workings of the restaurant business, and leads through transparency and collaboration, with a distinct growth mindset. 

Jim has a deep passion for the hospitality business, and started his career with Smitty's as a dishwasher more than 40 years ago. He has worked his way forward in several operations focused roles in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, bringing success and growth to every position. As president, Jim provides the day-to-day brand leadership towards the corporate Vision for Smitty's Canada; "To be the recognized leader in the Family Casual Foodservice Segment." 

Eric Metzler

Chief Financial Officer

Eric achieved his Chartered Accountant designation in 2005 and has worked in public accounting and for a small retail business. Prior to becoming an accountant, he worked in IT support services and retail management as well as working front and back of house and management for a few restaurants. Eric joined Smitty’s in 2014 and is responsible for the accounting and finance functions of the company. As CFO Eric continues to support the Franchise family by improving internal reporting and analysis of both internal and external growth opportunities.

Lars Fredborg

Director of Operations

Lars has been in leadership roles in the hospitality and foodservice industry for over three decades, with professional management experiences ranging from quick serve to casual, as well as, institutional foodservice and bars. As a former restaurant owner himself, Lars has a terrific understanding of what it takes to be a successful restauranteur. With a solid base of experience, Lars is focused on providing our brand and individual franchisees with the support to take advantage of individual and national growth opportunities. 

Rob Sullivan

Director of Development

With over 35 years of experience in the foodservice industry, Rob is focused on the growth of the Smitty's brand from the ground up. Rob seeks and validates potential franchisees, supports existing restaurants with renovations, and acts as project manager and first point of contact for new location builds. Rob believes that excellence in project management is in the details, along with clear communication and strong realtionships. 

Cheryl Palamar

Director of Marketing

An experienced innovation leader, Cheryl demonstrates skill in assessment and action plans for marketing, communication, public relations and product lifecycles.  With years of forward-thinking in the culinary and foodservice arenas, Cheryl is focused on brand awareness, relevancy and continuous innovation in the guest experience both internally and externally. Cheryl believes that community and communication are key factors in both growth and longevity.