Back Yard Burgers chief marketing officer Monte Jump has added the role of chief operating officer to his responsibilities at the Nashville, Tenn.-based brand.
Jump joined the 68-unit chain in August 2012, a few months before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and led Back Yard’s marketing and supply chain strategies while the company executed a turnaround strategy under new chief executive David McDougall.
“Back Yard Burgers is a company that lives its values, mission and vision,” Jump said, in a statement. “I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity to grow with the company.”
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Prior to Back Yard Burgers, Jump had been executive vice president of marketing for Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen and Buffets Inc., as well as vice president of marketing for Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Golden Corral. His first job in the restaurant industry was as a marketing director for TGI Fridays, after a 14-year stint working for PepsiCo in both marketing and operations capacities.
“Monte has played a key role in the Back Yard Burgers turnaround,” McDougall said, in a statement. “He is a consummate professional, and his insights and expertise have led to Back Yard Burgers’ recent success.”
The company has recorded 14 consecutive months of increased same-store sales to date. Jump and McDougall previously told Nation’s Restaurant News that a planned return to unit growth would not occur until 2015.
Though few executives in the restaurant industry simultaneously hold the CMO and COO roles, many marketing leaders have gone on to lead operations at their companies or take the helm of other brands.
Recent examples include the succession plan in place at Yum! Brands Inc., where Taco Bell president Greg Creed will become chief executive next year, replacing David Novak, who rose from executive vice president of marketing to chief operating officer of PepsiCo before leading KFC and Pizza Hut. Creed had served as chief marketing officer for Taco Bell, then chief operating officer of parent company Yum, before going back to Taco Bell as its president.
Next year, Taco Bell president Brian Niccol, who previously had been chief marketing and innovation officer, will succeed Creed as Taco Bell chief executive.
In 2011, Ken Calwell became president of Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza after holding the CMO post at Wendy’s and Domino’s Pizza. He was named chief executive six months later.
At Back Yard Burgers, Jump’s duties as chief marketing and operations officer will include company and franchise operations, supply chain, training, and branding and advertising.
The chain was founded in Mississippi in 1986. At its pre-bankruptcy peak, Back Yard Burgers had 180 locations. Its current footprint of 68 units spans 14 states.
Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @Mark_from_NRN