Los Angeles — Modern Restaurant Concepts (MRC), a leading fast-casual restaurant platform comprising the QDOBA, Modern Market Eatery and Lemonade brands, has hired veteran restaurant executive John Cywinski as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Previously, Cywinski served on leadership teams from Applebee’s, Chili’s, KFC, McDonald’s and Burger King. Most recently, he was president of Applebee’s Grill & Bar for 6 years, where he led a transformation and resurgence of the $4.4 billion business. Before his role at Applebee’s, Cywinski also served as president of KFC where he led …
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Chesapeake, Va. — Dollar Tree, Inc. has added Pedro Voyer to its executive leadership team as the company’s new chief development officer. He has more than two decades of executive leadership experience in the restaurant industry — from Starbucks to Burger King to Panera Bread — including operations and facilities management. “With more than 25 years of leadership experience in the domestic and international multi-unit food and beverage industry, Pedro has a strong track record in profitable new unit growth, portfolio asset management and facility management,” says Mike Witynski, president …
— By Katie Lee — KFC eyes 2022 with a new, urban-oriented evolution of its prototype design, focused on customer convenience and digital efficiency. When Retail & Restaurant Facility Business last featured KFC on its cover, the year was 2018 and a new design called ‘American Showman’ was rolling out, marking a new era of expansion for KFC following 10 years of downsizing. At the time, the company’s U.S. development goal was to become a 5,000-unit franchise once more. Now, 3 years and a global pandemic later, …