About The Grōth
Group
Operations Team
Meet Our Seasoned Leadership
The Grōth Group is led by a team of accomplished industry veterans with a proven track record of success in the restaurant and retail sectors. Our partners bring a wealth of experience and expertise, spanning all facets of consumer-facing businesses.
David Ulrich, CRO & Managing Partner
David Ulrich is a highly experienced Executive Search and Human Capital Strategist with over 15 years of experience in the Restaurant, Hospitality, Franchising, and Real Estate industries. He has a proven track record of success in recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent for organizations at all levels.
David is known for his client-focused approach, providing honest and timely feedback to build long-term relationships. His extensive industry network includes connections with major private equity firms and global restaurant and hotel companies, giving him unparalleled access to top talent and opportunities. David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Randy Combs, CFO & Managing Partner
Randy Combs is a seasoned Restaurant Finance and Strategy Expert with 25 years of experience driving productivity and margin improvement. He specializes in franchise economics, business plan development, and real estate transactions, providing valuable insights to clients.
As a results-oriented leader, Randy excels at building high-performing teams and optimizing cash flow for businesses. His hands-on experience as a restaurant operator gives him a deep understanding of day-to-day management and multi-unit expansion strategies. Randy holds an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and a BS in Management from San Diego State University.
Larry Strain, CCIM, Strategic Partner & Multi-Unit Development Expert
Larry Strain is a dynamic Growth and Transformation Leader with over 30 years of experience in real estate, franchise development, and strategic leadership. He is a Franchise Development Expert with a proven track record of spearheading national expansion initiatives and driving franchisee success.
Larry is a strategic visionary, skilled in designing and implementing growth plans that leverage market analytics and financial modeling. He also has exceptional leadership experience in real estate development, overseeing acquisitions, new unit development, and major remodel projects. Larry is a skilled negotiator, securing favorable terms in real estate and franchise transactions. He is a CCIM designee.
Advisory Council
Richard Key
Richard Key is an accomplished foodservice and franchise executive with over 30 years of experience driving growth, operational excellence, and team success. Renowned for his ability to build strong relationships with franchisees, vendors, colleagues, and teams, Richard has consistently delivered results in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
Throughout his career, Richard has held senior leadership roles with prominent brands, including TCBY, Focus Brands (Carvel and Moe’s Southwest Grill), and Papa Murphy’s International. Most recently, he served as Chief Operations Officer of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a role he assumed in 2021 after three years as Senior Vice President of Operations. During his time at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Richard and his team were instrumental in the brand’s impressive expansion, growing from 600 to over 1,400 locations.
Richard also played a key role in two major private equity transactions, including the sale of Tropical Smoothie Cafe to Levine Leichtman and Blackstone in 2024. After the successful acquisition, Richard retired to pursue new opportunities and personal interests.
David Proctor
David is an accomplished leader, board member, and investor known for his strategic, analytical, and collaborative approach to driving long-term value creation. With a unique combination of operational expertise, strategic vision, and financial acumen, David excels in supporting management teams to solve complex challenges while knowing when to step back to empower execution. He is also adept at assessing and strengthening leadership teams to meet organizational needs.
At Milestone Partners, David led investments across industries such as automotive, building products, information management, and data analytics. He was instrumental in high-impact projects, including the transformation of PPHC Electromac, an auto parts manufacturer, where he spearheaded strategy development, plant expansions, acquisitions, and sale-leaseback transactions, delivering a 3.6x return on investment. He also played a lead role in the acquisition and growth of companies like Image API and mTAB. During his time at Milestone, David served on the Investment Committee and mentored junior professionals.
At Wind River Holdings, David established a private company investment initiative, working closely with executives to define investment strategies and execute acquisitions. Notably, he sourced and led the acquisition of Goddard Systems, a franchisor of childcare centers, growing it from 100 to 600 schools and increasing EBITDA 15x over 20 years, culminating in a $1.1 billion exit. David also stepped into an operational role at Philadelphia Mixers as VP of Sales and Marketing, successfully implementing a strategic growth plan.
Beyond his professional roles, David served as a board member at Kid Smiles, a nonprofit providing oral health care to underserved communities. During his tenure, including four years as Chair, he improved governance, streamlined financial reporting, expanded the board, and refined the organization’s strategy to adapt to evolving payment models.
Earlier in his career, David was an investment banker at Janney Montgomery Scott, where he advanced to First Vice President. A Penn graduate, David’s career reflects a balance of hands-on problem-solving, strategic oversight, and impactful leadership across industries and organizational types.
Jim Vinz
Jim retired as a fulltime CEO role in early 2020 after four decades in the hospitality industry. He has continued to serve on multiple restaurant industry groups as a board member and/or advisor. Vinz also serves on multiple non-profit boards.
Jim has held leadership positions in multiple restaurant companies over the past 40 years. His proven ability to think both strategically and tactically has enabled him to guide teams through various life-stages of company and franchise development, as well as turnaround strategies.
Jim is proud of the people development practices put in place in multiple companies, which helped in identifying and growing many leaders now in place throughout the industry. Vinz is an off-premise industry leader, and has launched catering and off-premise programs in multiple brands over his career to help optimize various growth channels.
Jim has served as CEO and/or President of Corner Bakery Cafe, Mongolian Concepts (Genghis Grill, bd’s Mongolian Grill, Flat Top Grill), TooJay’s Traditional Deli, Le Duff America (la Madeleine, Brioche Doree, Mimi’s Café, Bruegger’s Bagels, Timothy’s Coffee).
Jim has served on the advisory board of No Kid Hungry from 2008-2017 and was chairman from 2011-2012. No Kid Hungry is the leading restaurant industry organization seeking to eliminate childhood hunger in the United States. Jim also served on the board of the Fast-Casual Industry Council for several years as an advocate for the segment in partnership with the National Restaurant Association.
Vinz has his undergraduate degree from Bethany Lutheran College and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
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