standing tenure with Georgia-based Taco Mac, where he began as a franchisee in 1997, opening his first restaurant in Alpharetta, Georgia. His early success led to the development of three additional locations and, ultimately, a partnership with Taco Mac’s founder. Together, they formed Tappan Street Restaurant Group, where Campbell served as CEO and helped scale the business to more than 30 locations. “I am thrilled to join Huddle House and to work alongside Paul and the broader leadership team during this exciting period of transformation,” Campbell said. “As the family-dining landscape continues to evolve, this is a pivotal moment for the brand to build on its heritage while creating new paths to meet guests where they are through relevant experiences, thoughtful growth, and a continued focus on heartfelt hospitality.”


Little Caesars


Little Caesars announced several updates to its leadership team, including the promotion of longtime CEO Dave Scrivano to vice chairman. In his new role, Scrivano will continue to lead the brand while focusing on long-term strategy, culture, and innovation.


Additionally, Paula Vissing has been promoted to president and CEO of global retail. In her previous role as president of global retail since 2023, Vissing has driven strong results in franchise profitability, restaurant growth, global marketing initiatives, and global learning and development. Ed Gleich has been promoted to president and CEO of global services. In his role since 2023 as president of global services, he has driven growth and operational excellence through his leadership of innovation, global supply chain, equipment sales, spice blending, Blue Line Distribution, and Champion Foods. Finally, Leigh Burnside has been promoted to CFO and chief administrative officer. Since joining Little Caesars in 2023, she has enhanced financial planning processes, strengthened treasury and accounting capabilities, and elevated organizational alignment across the company’s finance organization. “These promotions reflect the strength of our leadership team and the continued execution of our strategic plan, which has driven significant progress in international expansion, digital innovation, and restaurant growth,” said Chris Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Companies, Little Caesars’ parent company.


Mountain Mike’s Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a family-style pizza chain, has welcomed Sumi Ghosh as its new president and COO. Ghosh brings more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry to the role, including 12 years of leadership at Starbucks. He has also held executive roles at global companies such as Nike, Dutch Bros., and Yum! Brands. “As Mountain Mike’s continues to increase community and guest access across the country to Pizza the Way it Oughta Be, it’s critical that we optimize and reinforce several key areas of our business, which is why we are proud to welcome someone with such a notable history of restaurant brand elevation to our executive team,” CEO Jim Metevier said. “Sumi’s long and successful track record has fueled operational consistency,


excellence, and profitability across the consumer business landscape, and his contributions will be invaluable to scaling our operations while maintaining our brand DNA.”


Popeyes


Matt Rubin has been promoted to chief marketing officer for Popeyes. In this role, Rubin will lead the fried chicken brand’s marketing strategy, brand positioning, and customer engagement across all channels.


“Matt brings a deep understanding of the Popeyes brand, the guest, and the broader quick-service restaurant landscape,” said Peter Perdue, president of Popeyes U.S. and Canada. “His experience across marketing, analytics, and digital positions him well to move quickly to strengthen our brand positioning and drive growth.”


Rubin has nearly 11 years of experience with Restaurant Brands International, with four of those with Popeyes U.S. & Canada. Most recently, he served as Popeyes’ chief digital officer. Previously, Rubin led marketing analytics for Popeyes U.S. & Canada and served as chief marketing officer for RBI’s brands in the Asia-Pacific region. “I’m excited to step into this role and continue building


on the strong foundation of the Popeyes brand,” Rubin said. “Popeyes has incredible equity rooted in its Louisiana heritage and industry-leading food, and I look forward to helping fuel the next phase of growth.”


Slim Chickens


Slim Chickens, a leading fast casual franchise, has announced the promotion of seasoned restaurant industry professional, Christina Vaughan to Chief Operating Officer (COO). “I’m incredibly excited that Christina Vaughan is stepping


into the role of Chief Operating Officer,” said Tom Gordon, CEO of Slim Chickens. “Christina’s passion for our brand and dedication to supporting our franchisees have made her an invaluable asset to the team. Her leadership will be instrumental as we continue expanding our footprint across the U.S. and beyond.” In her role as COO, Vaughan will be part of the brand’s senior leadership team. Her focus will be on optimizing operations, elevating the customer experience, and driving franchisee satisfaction as the brand continues its rapid growth.


Velvet Taco Velvet Taco, the fast-casual restaurant celebrated for its globally inspired tacos and bold flavors, has named Chris Schultz as CEO.


Schultz will lead the brand’s next phase of growth in the United States and internationally, with a focus on operations, innovation and elevating the overall guest experience. Schultz brings more than 30 years of restaurant leadership experience. Most recently, he served as CEO of Voodoo Doughnut, where he guided the brand’s expansion into new markets while keeping its distinctive culture intact. Before that, he spent nine years as senior vice president of operations at MOD Pizza, helping grow the company from a single location to more than 350 across the country.


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