“I am honored to lead this iconic brand into its next
chapter,” Bode said. “As we’ve transitioned from a public to a private company, we’ve approached our path forward with real examination, real adjustments and a clearer focus on the things that actually move performance in our restaurants. We are operating in a difficult economic environment, but private ownership gives us more freedom to look at the business honestly, move faster where change is needed, and make adjustments quickly. I am confident that we have the right plan in place to emerge as real winners.” Bode’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment as Denny’s transitions from a public company to a private entity. With a history of outperforming the family dining category in 30 of 45 quarters during his previous tenure as COO, the company said Bode brings an unparalleled depth of operational knowledge and a consistent track record of driving record-breaking valuation growth.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams announced David Stever as its new CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome David Stever as CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams,” Chairman Brian Knez said. “He brings a rare combination of operational excellence and business leadership, along with a proven ability to scale global brands. During his time at Ben & Jerry’s, he fostered a people-first culture rooted in quality, the guest experience, and a passion for the power of ice cream to bring people together. We are confident that Dave, together with our terrific Jeni’s team, will continue to successfully expand this wonderful brand while staying true to its culture and artisanal heritage.” Stever brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in consumer-packaged goods to the ice cream chain. As CEO and CMO of Ben & Jerry’s, he led the business through transformative growth while strengthening the brand, expanding innovation, and increasing its global relevance.
Jimmy John’s Inspire Brands announced Darin Dugan has been promoted to Jimmy John’s brand president. Over the past six years serving as Jimmy John’s CMO, Darin has demonstrated a rare combination of creative vision, operational expertise, and strategic insight, the company said. “Darin has brought creativity and discipline together by modernizing campaigns, elevating the menu, and launching new, brand-defining product platforms, including wraps and toasted sandwiches,” said Scott Murphy, Inspire chief brand officer and Dunkin’ brand president. “He’s a passionate leader with a deep understanding of what makes this brand so special, and I’m excited to work with him to continue accelerating Jimmy John’s growth around the world.” Dugan joined Inspire through the acquisition of SONIC in late 2018, where he served as vice president of national marketing for more than three years. Before that, he led marketing and culinary at Applebee’s after spending more than 13 years in leadership roles at Kraft Foods Group.
Portillo’s Portillo’s, the Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant famous for its Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago-style hot dogs, appointed restaurant industry veteran Brett Patterson as president and CEO. He will also join the company’s board of directors.
Patterson brings extensive leadership experience across
large, national restaurant brands, with a strong background in operations, team development, and driving sustainable growth. “Brett has all the right qualities to lead Portillo’s into its next chapter of growth,” Chairman of the Board Michael A. Miles, Jr. said. “He brings the strategic mindset, operations expertise, and leadership style needed to grow this brand, while preserving what makes Portillo’s so special and unique. Having worked his way up through the ranks and served in virtually every operational role within a restaurant, he understands the business from the ground up and the people who make it a success every day. The board, the executive team, and I are confident that he will honor our legacy while helping position the company to deliver long-term value for our shareholders, guests, and team members.” In his role, Patterson will be responsible for leading Portillo’s overall strategy, with a focus on market positioning, new restaurant growth, and operational excellence, while continuing to invest in team members and elevate the guest experience.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack has appointed Michelle Hook as CFO. She joins burger and shake chain’s executive leadership team and will be responsible for leading financial operations across the company, including accounting and treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax, investor relations and external reporting. Hook brings more than two decades of financial and operational leadership experience in the restaurant industry, with a proven track record of scaling growth companies and building high-performing teams, the company said. “We are thrilled to welcome Michelle to the Shake Shack team,” CEO Rob Lynch said. “She brings deep restaurant industry expertise and significant public company experience to the role. I’m confident Michelle will be a valuable addition to our leadership team as we continue to advance our culture of enlightened hospitality and further strengthen our best-in-class finance organization on our path to 1,500 company-operated Shacks.”
Hook joins Shake Shack from Portillo’s, where she served as CFO beginning in December 2020. In that role, she led finance, supply chain and information technology, helped take the company public in 2021, strengthened its financial infrastructure, built processes to support significant growth, and fostered transparent communication with the investment community. Previously, Hook spent more than 17 years at Domino’s Pizza, where she most recently served as vice president of finance for global financial planning and analysis and investor relations, and held various accounting and finance leadership positions.
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