people

Emeryville, Calif. — Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has appointed Frank Kerr to executive vice president, chief store operations officer, effective Sept. 15, 2025. He joins Grocery Outlet from Lidl US, where he most recently served as senior vice president, operations, and its chief customer officer. Kerr has more than a decade of progressive leadership experience in the grocery retail space, and has a strong track record of driving growth, efficiency and profitability across large store fleets. During his tenure with Lidl, he oversaw the grocer’s expansion into the U.S., achieving …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Pasadena, Calif. — Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar has appointed Jerrold (Jay) Wong as chief operations officer, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to bold innovation, operational excellence and long term growth. He will officially join Applebee’s on Sept. 15. As COO, Wong will focus on driving consistency, accelerating growth and working closely with his team and franchisees to elevate restaurant performance and deliver a seamless guest experience across the system. Wong brings extensive leadership experience from across the hospitality industry, having scaled global teams and led transformations at world-class brands including …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

San Carlos, Calif. — Presto, the company that pioneered drive-thru Voice AI, has tapped Michael Chorey, the founder of Wendy’s FreshAi, to join the company in order to build Presto IQ, the first AI-native dynamic data offering for the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. In this role, Chorey will work with Presto to grow its drive-thru Voice AI platform and lead the development of the new Presto IQ business unit. Chorey is widely recognized for pioneering AI experiences that are both operationally sound and emotionally intelligent. Presto IQ will integrate dynamic …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Minneapolis — Target Corporation’s board of directors has unanimously elected Michael Fiddelke, chief operating officer, to succeed Brian Cornell as chief executive officer and become a member of its board of directors. Cornell will transition to the role of executive chair of the board of directors. Both appointments are effective Feb. 1, 2026. During his 20-year career at Target, Fiddelke has been instrumental in building many of the company’s core strengths, holding leadership roles across merchandising, finance, operations and human resources. As chief operating officer, and previously chief financial officer, …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

San Antonio — Whataburger has hired Jessica Reicher as executive vice president and chief operating officer. She brings more than 30 years of diverse restaurant leadership experience, with a proven track record of operational excellence, brand growth and people-first leadership. Most recently, Reicher served as president of Arby’s at Flynn Group, where she led over 360 locations across 10 states. Under her leadership, Flynn Arby’s consistently ranks at the top of the system on national benchmarks in sales and customer satisfaction. Her people development strategy resulted in industry-leading turnover improvements, …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Houston — SPB Hospitality, a portfolio company of Fortress Investment Group and a leading operator and franchisor of restaurant brands, has appointed Robert “Bob” J. Fargo as senior vice president of development. Fargo first joined SPB Hospitality in 2023 as vice president of construction and design. In his new role, Fargo will lead all aspects of real estate, design and construction management for SPB Hospitality’s portfolio, including J. Alexander’s, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill, Amada, Village Whiskey, Krystal and Logan’s Roadhouse. He will be responsible for managing SPB’s national development …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Vernon Hills, Ill. — Diversified Foodservice Supply (DFS), a leading provider of equipment, supplies and parts to the foodservice industry, has appoinnted Lev Peker as chief executive officer. Peker brings a strong track record of leadership and growth from the automotive aftermarket industry, where he excelled as CEO of PartsID and CarParts.com. There, he successfully scaled operations, enhanced customer experience and delivered strong financial results. His deep expertise in e-commerce, operational efficiency and system modernization aligns closely with DFS’s strategic priorities. While foodservice is a new space for him, his …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Orlando, Fla. — Sonny’s BBQ, an industry-leading BBQ restaurant, has added Matt Zeiger to its team as chief financial & development officer. In this key leadership role, he will oversee finance and development, bringing his strategic vision and deep expertise to support Sonny’s growth plan. “Matt brings an impressive 25 years of exceptional financial and operational leadership, having worked with some of the most respected restaurant franchise brands in the industry,” says George McAllan, chief growth officer at Sonny’s BBQ. “His depth of expertise will help guide Sonny’s BBQ as …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Secaucus, N.J. — On Aug. 5, The Vitamin Shoppe® appointed Mike Forbes as executive vice president and chief strategy officer. In this newly created role, Forbes will lead enterprise-wide strategy and long term growth planning, with a focus on digital acceleration, innovation and organizational transformation. He will report directly to CEO Sharon Leite. Forbes brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the retail and consumer packaged goods sectors, including CEO roles at MaryRuth Organics, Alter Eco Foods and Safely. His proven track record of scaling digital-first brands and …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

San Diego — Luna Grill Mediterranean Kitchen has named Rich Pinnella as chief executive officer, marking a pivotal leadership transition as the fast-casual brand enters a new phase of rapid expansion. The move comes as its founder and longtime CEO, Sean Pourteymour, steps into the role of executive chairman and chairman of the board. Pinnella, who joined Luna Grill 6 years ago as president, has been a key architect of the brand’s operational evolution, customer experience and expansion strategy. “After 20 incredible years as CEO, it fills me with pride …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts