The Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken brands have announced that they have named industry veteran Joe Guith as CEO, effective Aug. 1, according to a press release.
“I’m impressed with this brand’s resiliency and its ability to navigate a challenging environment over the past few years. With a strong base of domestic and international franchisees and a number of strategic growth initiatives on the horizon, this is an exciting and defining time in this great brand’s history,” Guith said in the press release. “I look forward to expanding the brand’s footprint so that Church’s Texas Chicken continues to thrive and reach new customers across the globe, particularly in new major markets abroad.”
Guith joins the company from Focus Brands, where he was restaurant category president overseeing a portfolio of over 1,500 restaurants across the Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, and Schlotzsky’s brands.
Previously, he held brand president positions at McAlister’s Deli and Cinnabon. Earlier in his career, Guith served as general manager of the KFC South Territory, a region that included more than 1,500 restaurants, 200-plus franchisees, and system revenues of $1.5 billion. He also served in several roles for The Coca-Cola Company in a global capacity, working with franchise bottlers across six continents.
Guith will oversee continued growth for Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken and will also head up insights-driven investments in technology to mirror evolving consumer behaviors, such as an enhanced digital customer experience, including a new mobile app and loyalty program.
“As a strategic leader with extensive category expertise, Joe’s proven track record supports our efforts to build upon the brand’s strong foundation to drive future success,” Anand Gowda, founder of High Bluff Capital Partners, which owns Church’s Texas Chicken, said in the release. “His expertise in operating restaurants, combined with his passion for growing brands, accelerating digital capabilities and developing high-performing teams, will be incredibly valuable to the Church’s Texas Chicken system.”
Guith replaces Joe Christina, who served as CEO and President of Church’s Texas Chicken for six years, leading the company through unprecedented times for the restaurant industry and driving the brand’s continued expansion, adding hundreds of restaurants around the world.
