Franklin, Tenn. — CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, has appointed Joe Guith as chief executive officer, effective immediately. He joins CKE from Church’s Texas Chicken.
Guith arrives at CKE with extensive experience in franchising, restaurant management and the expansion of consumer brands. Previously, he served as CEO of Church’s Texas Chicken, where he successfully repositioned the brand and built stronger relationships with the franchisee community, leading to significant improvements in unit-level profitability, record sales and traffic growth. These changes led to expanding the Church’s Texas Chicken footprint to more than 1,500 locations across 23 countries. With more than two decades of industry experience, Guith has held senior leadership roles at GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands), McAlister’s Deli, Cinnabon and The Coca Cola Company.
“Joe brings a blend of industry expertise and visionary leadership that perfectly aligns with our goals for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s,” says Sarah Spiegel, CKE board member and interim CEO. “We are confident that his proven track record in brand growth and operational excellence will drive our company forward, allowing us to reach new levels of success and innovation.”
CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., a privately held company based in Franklin, Tenn., operates Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® restaurants. With both a U.S. and international footprint, Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC have more than 3,600 franchised or company-operated restaurants domestically and more than 35 international markets and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.ckr.com, www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.
SOURCE: CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.