Dive Brief:
- P.F. Chang’s has appointed Brad Hill, previously its chief operating officer and chief financial officer, as the chain’s CEO, the company said in a Wednesday press release.
- Hill succeeds Eduardo Luz, who serve as an advisor until the end of April. Luz was hired as CEO and president of the Asian casual chain in 2023.
- Hill has been at P.F. Chang’s for nearly eight years and has served as COO since March 2024; he helped Luz strengthen the brand’s position within the casual dining industry and position it for long-term growth. Another longtime exec, Corey Robertson, will succeed Hill as COO.
Dive Insight:
P.F. Chang’s, which has over 300 units, will continue to grow under Hill’s leadership. The chain is targeting non-traditional locations like domestic and international airports and is expanding its menu with new options to broaden its consumer base.
In the past two years, the chain said it opened five franchised airport locations across the world, including Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The chain also opened a unit in the Kempegowda International Airport in India and Guadalajara International Airport in Mexico.
The chain plans to open a location with Four Leaf Ventures inside Terminal A at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport this year, as well. Its airport locations typically offer breakfast and grab-and-go options for travelers. P.F. Chang’s has grown 150% in airports between 2022 and 2024.
P.F. Chang’s also expanded its menu in November to include a selection of fried chicken for the first time. The menu category includes bone-in and boneless Korean Fried Chicken and Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. In March, it added a promotion for lettuce wraps, offering a free order of Chicken or Veggie Lettuce wraps with a purchase of an entree from March 20 to April 7.
The shift in P.F. Chang’s top leadership comes just a few months after the chain appointed a new chief marketing officer, Sonika Patel, who previously worked at Ticketmaster and PepsiCo.
