Dive Brief:
- Church’s Texas Chicken promoted Roland Gonzalez, the company’s chief operating officer, to CEO, the company said Friday in a press release. He succeeds Joe Guith, who held the post since 2022.
- Gonzalez has over a decade of restaurant and franchising experience, according to his LinkedIn profile. He joined Church’s as chief operating officer in 2023 after serving as executive vice president, operations at Virtual Dining Concepts.
- Gonzalez will oversee Church’s next phase of growth after playing a key role in the brand’s transformation over the past two years. In his time as COO, the chain modernized much of its customer-facing technology, including launching a loyalty program and piloting drive-thru voice ordering automation.
Dive Insight:
Under Guith’s leadership, the chain sought to revitalize the brand through service enhancements and providing value to customers, Anand Gowda, founder of High Bluff Capital Partners which owns Church’s, said in a statement. Last year, Church’s brought back its original chicken recipe to attract new and loyal guests.
The chain’s priority now is to accelerate expansion and reach $2 billion in systemwide sales while maximizing franchise profitability, Gowda said on Friday. The company currently has systemwide sales of $1.5 billion and over 1,500 locations across 26 countries. In the U.S., it has more than 770 restaurants and an average unit volume over $1 million, according to its franchise disclosure document.
“Gonzalez brings an extensive track record of driving operational excellence through global business strategies and process improvement, strengthening franchisee partnerships, enhancing guest experiences and expanding brand reach in highly competitive categories and geographic markets,” the company said.
Gonzalez’s resume includes various leadership roles at Burger King for over five years, according to his LinkedIn profile. In 2016, he was promoted to head of brand standards and strategy, global operations for Burger King’s parent Restaurant Brands International, a role he held for over four years. He then spent around a year and a half at Virtual Dining Concepts.
Gonzalez’s promotion isn’t the only change the chain has had at its C-suite this year. It also appointed Navin Sharma as chief marketing officer and Alisa P. Cleek as chief legal officer in January. Sharma previously served as founding partner at Datacraft Advisors, a specialized marketing and digital advisory firm. Cleek joined Church’s from Hooters of America where she was chief legal officer and corporate secretary.
