Dive Brief:
- CKE Restaurants appointed Alisa Gmelich as Hardee’s president, the company said in a press release on Wednesday.
- Gmelich has extensive experience in franchising and has worked in leadership roles at Sprouts Farmers Market, Auntie Anne’s, IHOP, McDonald’s and Burger King. Gmelich succeeds Christopher Bode, who became Denny’s CEO earlier this year.
- In her new position, Gmelich will be focused on growth, elevating the guest experience, strengthening franchisee alignment and advancing CKE’s “Burger Revolution,” a cooked-to-order platform originally launched at Carl’s Jr.
Dive Insight:
Gmelich has around 30 years of brand experience, according to her LinkedIn profile, which will come in handy as she undertakes the Burger Revolution plan across Hardee’s system. At Carl’s Jr., the initiative included improving the build of burgers, improving ingredients and launching the Angus Maximus, a premium burger platform that has so far “generated significant guest interest,” the press release said.
While she was brand president and chief brand officer at Auntie Anne’s for over two years, Gmelich oversaw growth and recovery, helped pivot the brand from mall-centric locations and launched co-branded drive-thrus with Jamba. She also helped launch a brand transformation and scaled Auntie Anne’s app and delivery ecosystem, according to LinkedIn. She also worked at IHOP for over eight years and at Burger King for over seven years in various marketing leadership positions.
Gmelich’s appointment ensures that Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s each have distinct leadership for the brands, which is part of CKE CEO Joe Guith’s leadership structure to ensure that the two brands have a strong foundation to grow.
"This leadership structure brings together the experience and capabilities needed to strengthen our brands, support our franchisees, and deliver memorable guest experiences,” Guith said in a statement. “We are focused on building stronger brands and a culture where our people can thrive.”
Since joining CKE in 2025, Guith has hired Iwona Alter as Carl’s Jr. president; Ewan Davenport as president, international; Ben Halliwell as chief commercial officer; Danton Nolan as CFO; Mauricio Sirgo as chief supply chain officer; Nick Melka as vice president of strategy; and Cheryl Bowie as interim chief human resources officer.
CKE has seen mild contraction across its system as a handful of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s franchisees have filed for bankruptcy protections this year. For example, Superior Star, a 60-unit Hardee’s franchisee, filed for bankruptcy in July, blaming unexpected expenses, tax levies, rental obligations and sales problems at older restaurants for its financial challenges.
