CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. has promoted Eric Williams to the newly created position of chief operating officer, the parent to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains said Monday.
Williams was previously executive vice president of operations for Carl’s Jr., a position he had held since August 2011. Previously, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s each had an executive vice president of operations. Bob Starke, executive vice president of operations for Hardee’s, retired after 30 years with the company.
The chains merged ownership in 1997, when Carl’s Jr.’s parent company purchased Hardee's.
“Eric has been a devoted CKE team player for more than three decades, and I am honored to announce his promotion to chief operating officer,” CKE CEO Andrew Pudzer said in a release. “Throughout his career with us, Eric has delivered superb leadership and a strong mastery of strategic thinking. Most recently, he played an integral role in turning around our Hardee’s operations via the development and implementation of two key initiatives: ‘Operation QSC’ — processes and procedures that help us operate our restaurants in the most efficient manner — and ‘Six Dollar Service’ — training crew members to exceed our guests’ expectations and provide a pleasant dining experience.”
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group, which acquired the company in 2013.
CKE operates or franchises 1,142 Carl’s Jr. restaurants and 1,771 Hardee’s locations.
This story has been revised to reflect the following updates:
Update: July 13, 2015 This story has been updated with information about the chief operating officer role at CKE Restaurants.
Update: July 14, 2015 This story has been updated with information about Hardee's executive vice president of operations.
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