PDQ (People Dedicated to Quality) has promoted Kep Sweeney to CEO, succeeding co-founder Nick Reader in the position, the company said Thursday.
The Tampa, Fla.-based fast-casual company was founded by Reader and Bob Basham in 2011, and it has 62 locations in five states: Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The company said Sweeney started with PDQ in 2020 and served as president for his first three years. Prior to that, he was a consultant for CR3 Partners, focused on process improvement in the restaurant industry.
Reader and Basham, besides creating PDQ, are partners in Rocca, an Italian restaurant in Tampa, as well as other food concepts such as Bare Naked Kitchen, Glory Days Grill and the upcoming Streetlight Taco. PDQ is known for its chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, fries, salads and shakes
“We are excited about our future with Kep at the helm and for all the things we can accomplish these next few years,” said Reader in a statement. “He's a proven leader with a deep understanding of our business. Kep’s love of our people and food is what makes me so excited. We’ve grown; we’ve fought a pandemic; we maneuvered through poultry inflation; and we’ve built a great company with a tremendous future.”
Prior to his consultancy, Sweeney worked at Stars for Jeremiah Tower. Sweeney also held roles as chef de cuisine for Bob Kinkead at 21 Federal and as an executive chef at 21 Federal Nantucket.
Basham, a co-founder of Outback Steakhouse, and Reader, former MVP Holdings CEO, are the two principal owners of PDQ.
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