Denny’s has a new president, as does its recently acquired sister brand, Keke’s Breakfast Cafe.
John Dillon is being promoted to president of Denny’s, the company announced Wednesday. He’s been with the chain for more than 15 years, most recently as EVP and chief brand officer.
David Schmidt was hired to take the helm at the smaller Keke’s. Schmidt joins the company from Red Lobster, where he had been CFO for about six months.
They’re the first executive hires under new CEO Kelli Valade, who is hiring Schmidt for the second time this year: He was among her first hires when she was CEO of Red Lobster.
"It was a priority for the Denny's Corporation Board of Directors and I to identify exceptional leaders to take advantage of the many opportunities in front of us for both Denny's and Keke's," Valade said in a statement on Wednesday. "John and David have distinguished track records within the restaurant industry and have demonstrated unwavering commitments to delivering exceptional guest experiences.”
Denny's President John Dillon. / Photograph courtesy of Denny's
Dillon began his long Denny’s tenure in 2007 as a senior director of marketing. It led to more marketing roles and eventually to positions as CMO and chief brand officer. His contributions include a doubling down on Denny’s “America’s diner” branding as well as the launch of the chain’s delivery platform and its virtual brands.
He replaces former President Mark Wolfinger, who announced his retirement along with former CEO John Miller in May.
"It's a great privilege for me to continue serving Denny's through such an extraordinary time that I believe will be a period of continued growth and success for our brand, our team and our shareholders," Dillon said in a statement.
Keke's President David Schmidt. / Photograph courtesy of Denny's
Before his brief stint at Red Lobster, Schmidt spent more than 15 years at Bloomin’ Brands, rising to group vice president and CFO of casual-dining brands. Before that, he served as president of Bloomin’s Bonefish Grill concept.
He now takes charge of the 52-unit Keke’s, the breakfast-and-lunch concept that Denny’s acquired last month as a growth vehicle for franchisees.
"I'm excited about the growth opportunities in the quickly evolving a.m. eatery category and look forward to leveraging my experience alongside the entire Keke's team to bring our shareholders more value by growing the brand beyond Florida and positioning it as the leading franchised a.m. eatery in the country,” Schmidt said in a statement.
Dillon’s new role will be official Sept. 1, and Schmidt will come aboard Sept. 12.
The company said it would immediately start looking for a new CMO to replace Dillon.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified David Schmidt as Andrew Schmidt.
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