Raleigh, N.C. — Golden Corral is proud to welcome Dawn Gillis as its new chief information officer. With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant, hospitality and consumer goods industries, Gillis has proven to be a forward thinker while consistently delivering results. As CIO, she is tasked with leading Golden Coral’s digital growth strategy while modernizing its technology stack.
“We are excited to welcome Dawn to the Golden Corral family and believe her depth of technological knowledge and outstanding leadership experience makes her the right person to help us continue to evolve as a brand while growing to meet our guests’ and franchisees’ needs,” says Lance Trenary, CEO of Golden Corral. “She’s smart, tough and has a proven track record of navigating our constantly changing industry. We believe Dawn will play a significant role in future-proofing our brand, while positioning Golden Corral as a front runner in what’s new and next across the restaurant industry.”
Gillis most recently served as the chief technology officer (CTO) for Tavistock Freebirds, LLC. She led Freebirds World Burrito through turbulent market conditions the past 2 years, helping the QSR brand transform its technological infrastructure to maximize efficiencies, become more nimble and ultimately, to better serve its customers.
Prior to Freebirds, Gillis served as CTO for Torchy’s Tacos. She was tasked with the unprecedented challenge of evolving the brand during a global pandemic and succeeded by increasing its business model from 30% pickup and delivery to 100% in a short amount of time. Gillis also spent 15 years at 7-Eleven.
“I am honored to join this dynamic team and help Golden Corral maintain its legacy as a beloved buffet and a go-to dining destination, while elevating its new developments such as our up-and-coming fast-casual concept, Homeward Kitchen,” Gillis says. “You don’t get to celebrate 50 years of success without being able to evolve and I’m proud to be at the forefront of the technological advances that will help our brand continue to grow and prosper for many years to come.”
Founded in 1973 and based in Raleigh, N.C., Golden Corral is the nation’s largest grill-buffet restaurant chain. For more information, visit www.goldencorral.com.
SOURCE: Golden Corral