Wingstop Inc. has announced the promotion of former senior vice president of channel strategy Mahesh Sadarangani as chief operating officer. Sadarangani will be replacing Larry Kruguer, who resigned in December. According to a prior announcement, Kruguer’s resignation is effective March 7, and “was not the result of any disagreement” between the former COO and the Dallas-based chicken wing company.
In his new role, Sadarangani will be responsible for domestic operations and will report to CEO Charlie Morrison.
“Since joining the team, Mahesh has spent a significant amount of time focusing on in-restaurant processes, developing meaningful relationships with our brand partners and learning the ins and outs of our operations,” Charlie Morrison, chairman and CEO said in a statement. “We’re continually investing in our people to ensure we have the right team to propel our company to the next level, and Mahesh’s vast experience in operations and formulating strategy make him an excellent choice to lead our domestic operations while we continue down our path of becoming a top 10 global restaurant brand.”
Prior to joining Wingstop in July 2019, Sadarangani, left, had five years of experience at CEC Entertainment — the parent company for Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza, where he most recently served as chief administrative officer for the company and president of Peter Piper Pizza.
As senior vice president of channel strategy with Wingstop, he led the rollout of national delivery, impacted pricing strategy and helped Wingstop expand their presence in “non-traditional locations.”
“I’m thrilled to expand my role at a fast-growing, industry-leading brand like Wingstop,” Sadarangani said in a statement. “I have immense respect for the amazing team the organization has built and look forward to working closer with our brand partners and continue serving the world flavor.”
For the third quarter ended Sept. 28, Wingstop’s net income slipped 6.6% to $5.9 million, or 20 cents a share, from $6.3 million, or 21 cents a share, in the same period last year.
Wingstop, founded in 1994, has 1,340 locations, including 1,169 domestic and 141 abroad.
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