Dive Brief:
- CKE Restaurants Holdings hired Joe Guith as its CEO, effective immediately, the company said Thursday. Guith succeeds Max Wetzel, who left the company last year to head Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
- Guith previously served as CEO of Church’s Texas Chicken for over two years, during which time he repositioned the brand, built stronger franchisee relationships and led improvements in unit-level profitability, sales and traffic growth, the press release said.
- In his new role, Guith will “drive our company forward, allowing us to reach new levels of success and innovation,” said Sarah Spiegel, CKE board member and interim CEO, in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Guith has over two decades of industry experience that could help the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s parent expand. During his time at Church’s, that company expanded its footprint to over 1,500 units across 23 countries, according to the press release. Prior to Church’s, Guith also worked at GoTo Foods in various leadership positions, including serving as category president of restaurant brands for McAlister’s, Moe’s and Schlotzky’s.
CKE has continued to grow internationally, signing a deal to open Carl’s Jr. restaurants in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland last year. These restaurants build upon the brand’s current 100 units across Spain, France, Denmark, Turkey and Switzerland. The chain also opened its 400th restaurant in Mexico in December.
CKE has undergone several leadership changes in the past year, including hiring a new Carl’s Jr. USA president last April and chief technology and growth officer in June. CKE’s President of International Mike Woida retired in January and the company named Rodrigo de la Torre, current senior vice president of international development, to the interim role while the board searches for a replacement.
