Checkers Drive-In Restaurants on Wednesday named longtime industry executive Chris Tebben its new CEO.
Tebben replaces Frances Allen, who decided to step down in April to focus on her board work.
Tebben comes to Checkers from Mars Retail Group, where he led the M&M’s retail arm of flagship stores across the globe.
But Tebben also has considerable experience in the restaurant industry, including eight years with Starbucks in various roles. Among his roles there: He was VP of retail strategy and of licensed stores, overseeing digital and product management efforts in the U.S. and Latin America.
He’s also worked with P.F. Chang’s and was CMO of Pei Wei. He also spent time as CMO of Pizza Hut in the U.K. and Ireland.
Tebben was chosen following a “thorough search process,” David Barr, independent board member for Checkers & Rally’s, said in a statement. Barr called Tebben a “perfect fit to take these brands to the next level.”
Checkers and Rally’s operate similar but separate drive-thru burger brands. Checkers’ system sales were flat last year, at $626 million and 537 locations. Rally’s system sales grew 3.8% to $331 million, according to the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.
The brands have been in and out of financial trouble dating to before the pandemic, largely over debt used in a 2017 sale of the company to Oak Hill Capital Partners. Inflation hurt profitability and sales struggled more recently as consumers cut back on dining or shifted their spending to other types of restaurants.
A consortium of investment firms took ownership of the company last year in a debt-for-equity swap, including Arbour Lane Capital Management, Garnett Station Partners and Guggenheim Investments.
Still, Tebben said Checkers and Rally’s “is primed to exceed consumers’ rising expectations when it comes to hyper-convenience, and I look forward to working with the team to continue to innovate in every area of our business.”
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