Red Lobster has hired former Maggiano’s executive Larry Konecny as its new COO.
It’s the third new C-suite hire at the casual-dining seafood chain in three weeks as the company emerges from bankruptcy and plots a turnaround.
Konecny was most recently COO and chief concept officer at Maggiano’s Little Italy. He had been with the casual-dining chain for more than 17 years, leading the brand through a period of record-breaking sales and profit growth as well as a menu revamp.
At 545-unit Red Lobster, he’ll be in charge of food quality initiatives, customer service and operations.
“As Red Lobster advances on its comeback journey, having a world-class operations leader is essential,” said Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun. “Larry's impressive track record and authentic leadership style make him the perfect fit for this role.”
Larry Konecny | Photo courtesy of Red Lobster
Adamolekun, the former CEO of P.F. Chang's, has pledged to revitalize almost every facet of Red Lobster’s business, from its leadership to its operations, staffing, menu and marketing. The chain has been plagued by declining sales and store closures. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May and was sold to Fortress Investment Group.
Some of Adamolekun’s first official moves as CEO have been in the C-suite. Late last month, the chain hired former Checkers & Rally’s CFO Bob Baker and former Smokey Bones CMO Nichole Robillard.
Konecny rounds out the group as the operations expert.
"I am honored to join Red Lobster at such an important moment in its history," he said in a statement. "Red Lobster is a cherished brand, known for its exceptional food and dedicated people. With a solid foundation already in place, we are poised for an exciting comeback.”
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