Dairy Queen added two new international executives. The Minneapolis-based fast-food chain named Chris Wren VP of development, international. Greg Kirian was named VP of marketing for international. Wren comes to Dairy Queen after nearly three decades in franchising and restaurants, including CIT Bank, Dine Brands, Wingstop and Yum Brands. Kirian worked with Little Caesars, Wingstop and Yum.
Former Chili’s executive Wade Allen has joined Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill. Allen, who spent more than nine years with Chili’s parent Brinker International, is now EVP of strategic growth for Costa Vida, a 91-unit fast-casual chain based in Utah. Allen left Brinker in April.
The new CFO of Texas Roadhouse comes from the airline industry. Chris Monroe spent the past 30 years at Southwest Airlines, serving most recently as SVP of finance and treasurer. He fills a void at Roadhouse left by former CFO Tonya Robinson, who retired earlier this year. CEO Jerry Morgan praised Monroe’s financial expertise and his connection to Southwest, “which has a company culture we have admired for many years.”
Red Robin has hired IT veteran Jyoti Lynch as its new chief technology officer. Lynch was most recently CIO of European Wax Center and has also held IT leadership roles at Jamba Juice and Blockbuster, where she spent more than a decade. At Red Robin, she’ll oversee information and tech systems as well as operational planning and innovation as the chain continues a turnaround effort. She is part of a revamped C-suite under new CEO G.J. Hart.
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