Kevin King, who worked for Donatos from 1990 to 2003, is rejoining the fast-casual pizza chain as president, the company announced this week.
Since leaving Donatos, King worked for JP Morgan Chase and for Papa Murphy’s as the SVP of operations and the chief development officer. Most recently, he has served as the chief development officer at Smoothie King.
“Rejoining Donatos for me is so exciting,” King said in a statement. “To be back with this powerful brand at this important time to continue its growth and to give more than it receives is a dream come true.”
King rejoins the brand on January 4. Donatos CEO Tom Krouse has been serving as president since 2010.
King joined the Columbus, Ohio-based chain in 1990 to start the franchising department and was vice president of development when he departed in 2003.
The move comes as the 377-unit pizza chain (of those, 169 are traditional brick-and-mortar stores) is adding locations in a variety of formats.
Donatos has opened 12 traditional stores since the pandemic began and is in the midst of a remodeling initiative. The chain has also partnered with Red Robin and now has 197 locations in 13 states with another 200 stores expect to come online next year. Donatos is also opening ghost kitchens through a partnership with REEF, the company said.
“Our ability to adapt to rapid industry changes while continuing to provide the quality, consistent product we are known for has led to our success the past two years,” Krouse said in a statement. “The hard work of our associates starting at the store level has been tremendous as we’ve had two-year sales growth of 22.2% in a time when so many businesses have been struggling.”
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