Name: Jose “Pepot” Miñana Jr.
New title: Interim President, Smashburger
Previous title: Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer, Jollibee Foods Corporation
Jose Miñana Jr. will assume the role of president at Smashburger on June 30, when Carl Bachmann departs to take charge of BurgerFi, Smashburger announced Thursday. Miñana is currently leading sustainability and public affairs at Jollibee Foods Corporation, the company that owns Smashburger. He assumed that post in 2019.
Before assuming that position for the Philippines-based fast food giant, Miñana was group president of Jollibee’s North American businesses for more than three years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In that role, he helped to oversee the chain’s buyout of Smashburger in 2018, as well as other local brands, such as Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, according to LinkedIn. Miñana’s experience with Smashburger and his long ties to the North American market could benefit the burger chain as its parent company searches for a permanent replacement.
Bachmann announced his departure from Smashburger in late May after he was hired as CEO at BurgerFi. BurgerFi’s previous leader, Ian Baines, said on May 9 he would retire on June 7.
Under Bachmann, Smashburger saw double-digit same-store sales growth and considerable unit growth, driven by initiatives to improve food quality, real estate selection and the company’s leadership. Bachmann served as COO at Smashburger beginning in 2017 and as president since 2019, according to his LinkedIn.
