Dive Brief:
- Denny’s has promoted John Dillon, chief brand officer, to president of Denny’s effective Sept. 1, the company announced Thursday.
- David Schmidt, who recently served as CFO at Red Lobster, has been hired as president for Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, effective Sept. 12.
- These appointments come a month after Denny’s closed its $82.5 million acquisition of Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, which will operate independently of Denny’s.
Dive Insight:
While both executives will be tasked with growing their respective brands, Schmidt is specifically focused on extending Keke’s outside of its home state of Florida and challenging rival breakfast brands.
Denny’s will help provide the infrastructure Keke’s needs to expand, CFO Robert Verostek said during Denny’s most recent earnings call in early August.
Denny’s development strategy has included deploying its Heritage 2.0 store remodel enhancing efficiency with updated kitchen equipment, among other technology upgrades, executives said. The chain is also extending its operating hours with better staffing levels.
Dillon will bring over 20 years of restaurant experience into his new position. As chief brand officer, he helped Denny’s launch Denny’s on Demand and two virtual brands, among other initiatives. He has been at Denny’s for over 15 years in various marketing roles and also worked at Yum Brands, where he was director of marketing for 10 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
While Schmidt doesn’t have direct experience with a breakfast brand, he has 30 years of experience in the industry, mostly with full-service chains, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before joining Red Lobster, Schmidt spent 15 years at Bloomin’ Brands in various roles, including as CFO. He also was president at Bonefish Grill, where he was responsible for developing and implementing long-term growth strategies at the 200-unit chain, according to the press release.
Both Dillon and Schmidt will report to CEO Kelli Valade. The company has begun a search for a new CMO.
