Plantation, Fla. — Twin Hospitality Group Inc., the parent company of Smokey Bones, has appointed Ken Brendemihl as president of Smokey Bones, effective immediately. He has over 25 years of restaurant leadership experience, most recently as chief operating officer of Alamo Drafthouse. Prior to that, he held key leadership roles at Velvet Taco, California Pizza Kitchen, Texas Roadhouse and On the Border.
“Smokey Bones is a beloved brand that has amassed a loyal following over the years,” says Kim Boerema, CEO of Twin Hospitality Group. “Since joining Twin Hospitality, we have launched a full spending review across both brands to eliminate inefficiencies, uncover synergies and refocus on high-return initiatives. I have also focused on reviewing the Smokey Bones portfolio, closing underperforming units, identifying strong candidates for conversion and supporting profitable locations that will remain Smokey Bones. Ken will step in immediately bringing his deep operational expertise and proven track record to lead Smokey Bones into its next chapter.”
Smokey Bones was acquired as a 60-unit concept by FAT Brands Inc. in 2023 and was subsequently spun off into Twin Hospitality in January 2025. Twin Hospitality has prioritized optimizing Smokey Bones’ footprint, identifying 19 restaurants for conversion into better-performing Twin Peaks lodges. Two of these conversions have already been completed and generate significantly higher average unit volumes (AUVs) of approximately $7.8 million, compared to approximately $3.5 million as Smokey Bones. A third conversion, being completed by a franchisee, is currently under construction and is expected to open later this year.
Twin Hospitality has identified 15 underperforming Smokey Bones locations, of which 10 have been closed and five will be closed before the end of the fiscal third quarter. The closure of these locations, coupled with the removal of approximately $1.5 million in associated corporate overhead, is projected to materially enhance EBITDA performance.
Looking ahead, the company will leverage FAT Brands’ proven franchise model to begin franchising a portion of the remaining 26 Smokey Bones locations, creating a more balanced corporate-to-franchise mix and unlocking additional growth potential for the brand.
Twin Hospitality Group Inc. is a restaurant company that strategically develops and operates specialty casual dining restaurant concepts with a goal to redefine the casual dining category with its experiential driven brands. For more information, visit https://ir.twinpeaksrestaurant.com/.
Smokey Bones is a full-service restaurant delivering barbecue, ribs and cocktails. Smokey Bones serves lunch, dinner and late night every day. Smokey Bones also has a full bar featuring a variety of bourbons and whiskeys; a selection of domestic, import, and local craft beers; and signature, handcrafted cocktails. For more information, visit www.smokeybones.com.
SOURCE: Twin Hospitality Group Inc.