Taco John’s on Monday named longtime industry veteran Mark Kocer its chief operations officer.
Kocer, who has more than three decades of experience working with brands in and out of the restaurant industry, will oversee day-to-day operations at the Cheyenne, Wyo.-based Mexican chain. He will assist with expansion plans, and technology upgrades and will “serve as a mentor to leaders within the brand and franchise system.”
Kocer was most recently a division vice president for Arby’s, where he was responsible for the management and operations of 400 franchised restaurants and nearly 300 corporate locations. He worked for nearly 20 years at Arby’s.
Kocer began his career with PepsiCo, which owned KFC at the time.
In a statement, he called working for Taco John’s “a dream come true” and said he has “always loved and kept up with” the brand throughout the years.
Kocer will work out of Taco John’s new Restaurant Support Center in a Minneapolis suburb.
Jim Creel, president and CEO of Taco John’s, called Kocer “a quality person and leader” and said that “his knowledge and expertise in various areas of the industry will be an asset to our internal team and franchisees.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.