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Cranford-based food delivery startup Wonder Group hired the chief marketing officer at salad-and-bowl chain Sweetgreen to help lead growth efforts.

In a May 4 LinkedIn post, Wonder Chief Executive Officer and founder Marc Lore welcomed Daniel Shlossman as the company’s first chief growth and marketing officer, responsible for marketing, partnership and product strategies, as well as customer experience.

“Finding the right leader for a growth role can be particularly difficult, because it requires someone who has a deep understanding of both marketing and product,” wrote Lore, adding that Wonder spent months searching for its inaugural chief growth and marketing officer.

Shlossman, who has “been instrumental in building Sweetgreen’s brand over the past five years,” brings a “unique skillset, industry experience and leadership capabilities” that “will help us take Wonder to the next level,” Lore said. “But most importantly, he embodies our values of trust, transparency and fairness.”

His arrival at Wonder comes as the venture is transitioning its business to a different model.

Known for its network of van-based kitchens that cook up meals outside of customers’ homes, Lore announced plans in January to phase out its mobile fleet and replace it with physical locations that offer delivery, pick-up and some dine-in options from restaurants that Wonder has licensing deals with.

After debuting its brick-and-mortar concept on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in February, Wonder expects to open its first New Jersey spot in Westfield, along with a second location in New York City in Chelsea.

Last month, Wonder put its services in New Jersey on pause until the anticipated opening of the Westfield restaurant this summer.

According to Lore, the company aims to operate up to 10 locations in Union, Essex and Bergen counties in New Jersey, as well as Westchester County in New York.

After a pilot period last year in Westfield, Wonder grew to serve more than 70 towns across New Jersey, in addition to a handful in Westchester County, employing more than 1,300 workers. It also had plans to expand across the Northeast before a nationwide rollout. However, following its pivot to stores, the company laid off about 400 employees.

Going forward, Wonder plans to keep its current head count of around 800 workers stable for the next year and expects to raise more capital in a bridge funding round in early 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Shlossman’s responsibilities at Sweetgreen will be assumed by the company’s co-founder and chief brand officer Nathaniel Ru, the newspaper also reported.