Dive Brief:

• Steve Provost, EVP and president of Maggiano’s Little Italy, will retire at the end of August, parent company Brinker International said in a press release Thursday.
• Provost has served in this position since 2020, but joined Brinker in 2009, and has held multiple positions since then.
• Brinker will conduct an external search for Provost’s replacement. 

Dive Insight:

As EVP and president, Provost helped navigate the Italian chain out of the COVID-19 pandemic “with stronger sales and profits than pre-pandemic,” the company said. As of Brinker’s most recent quarter, fiscal Q3 2023, Maggiano’s comparable restaurant sales were up 21.6% compared to the year-ago quarter. 

Provost originally joined Brinker as SVP of marketing and brand strategy for Maggiano’s, becoming brand president later that year. In that role, he led strategy and oversaw growth and development, operations, culinary and PeopleWorks. During the eight years he served as brand president, “Maggiano's drove 21 consecutive quarters of same restaurant sales growth,” the company said.

In 2017, Provost was promoted to EVP and CMO at Chili’s. As CMO, he launched the chain’s everyday value menu, brought back the Baby Back Ribs jingle and invested in digital marketing. In 2018, Provost became chief concept officer, wherein he led supply chain management and drove strategic growth and menu innovation. He also developed Brinker’s first virtual brand, It’s Just Wings, which hit $170 million in sales within its first year. In 2021, Brinker launched its second virtual brand, Maggiano’s Italian Classics, but has since phased out the virtual concept.

Before joining Brinker, Provost held leadership roles in marketing, operations, franchise and concept development at multiple brands, including Quizno’s, PepsiCo and Yum Brands, Brinker said. Provost has worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 40 years.

Provost’s retirement marks the latest leadership change at Brinker within the past year. Brinker CEO Wyman Roberts retired in June 2022 with Kevin Hochman, previously KFC U.S president and chief concept officer, filling that role the same month. The company also named a new chief people officer and SVP and chief digital officer in October.