Bojangles on Monday named David Whitaker its new chief operating officer.
He will succeed Brian Unger, who has retired. Whitaker will join the Charlotte-based chicken chain on May 2.
Jose Armario, Bojangles CEO, praised Unger’s contributions to Bojangles, saying that “he represents the very best in our industry and has helped our company navigate the past few years with outstanding leadership and dedication.”
Whitaker brings more than 35 years of experience to Bojangles. He started as an hourly team member at Papa Gino’s and has worked with several major brands, including Outback Steakhouse owner Bloomin’ Brands, Wendy’s and Arby’s. He most recently was SVP for Arby’s largest division, featuring more than 300 corporate and 1,000 franchise locations.
Armario said Whitaker’s leadership, operational knowledge and experience working with franchisees “are all substantial assets for our team and the Bojangles brand.”
Bojangles operates 760 restaurants in 14 states, about two-thirds of which are franchise-owned. System sales rose 8% last year, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic.
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