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Washington, D.C. — CAVA, a fast-casual Mediterranean brand, has appointed Doug Thompson as chief operations officer, effective March 2. In this role, Thompson will oversee CAVA’s restaurant operations and field teams as it continues its rapid expansion across the country. Thompson is a veteran in the industry; most recently he was CEO of Tumble 22 Texas Chicken Joint, a Texas-based chicken concept. Thompson also spent over two decades at Texas Roadhouse, where he served as COO and vice president of operations. While there, he oversaw widespread development of new restaurant …

Dallas — Twin Hospitality Group Inc., the parent company of Twin Peaks Restaurant, has appointed Andy Wiederhorn as chief executive officer, effective immediately, following the termination of CEO Kim Boerema. Additionally, Roger Gondek, currently chief operating officer of Twin Peaks Restaurant, will also assume the role of president of Twin Peaks Restaurant while continuing in his COO responsibilities. Wiederhorn, who was integral in spinning out Twin Peaks and Smokey Bones into Twin Hospitality Group Inc., has served as chairman of the board since August 2025. In this role, he has …

Irvine, Calif. — Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 45 years, has named Sumi Ghosh as president and chief operating officer. With 30+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, including over 12 years of leadership at Starbucks, plus additional executive roles at global brands like Nike, Dutch Bros and Yum! Brands, Ghosh joins Mountain Mike’s at a pivotal moment for the brand, as it continues to grow an impressive national system that includes 315+ restaurants. “We are proud to welcome someone with such a notable …

  Detroit — Little Caesars has made several senior leadership promotions. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, longtime CEO Dave Scrivano has been promoted to vice chairman of Little Caesars. Additionally, Paula Vissing has been promoted to president and CEO, global retail; Ed Gleich has been promoted to president and CEO, global services; and Leigh Burnside has been promoted to chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. Vissing joined Little Caesars in 2011 and under her leadership the brand experienced its strongest period of expansion in company history. In her role since 2023 …

Youngstown, Ohio — Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has named two seasoned industry leaders to its executive team as the 80-year-old legacy brand continues its record-breaking expansion across the country: Garrett Snyder joins as vice president of real estate, construction and design, and Deepak Kahlon has been appointed vice president of operations. Snyder brings a proven track record to Handel’s with more than 15 years of franchise development and real estate expertise, previously serving as vice president of development at Mountain Mike’s Pizza and holding leadership roles at Blaze Pizza and …

Toledo, Ohio — Marco’s Pizza has appointed Bill Schaffler, a seasoned financial and operations leader with deep experience in high-growth restaurant and hospitality brands, as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Schaffler joins Marco’s Pizza with a strong foundation in private-equity environments, multi-unit expansion and enterprise-level financial performance. His background includes guiding financial strategy and technology modernization at Hopdoddy Burger Bar, leading brand and operational transformation as president and CEO of Ascension Coffee Company and driving systemwide efficiencies and growth in CFO roles at Nothing Bundt Cakes and La Madeleine. …