FT’s Picks of the Week highlight notable C-suite moves, brand milestones, tech tidbits and other franchise news, sourced by the Franchise Times editorial team.
Jim Bitticks is the new CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, replacing Bill Phelps, who transitioned to executive chairman of the board after serving as the company’s top executive for six years.
Bitticks was the president of Dave’s for the last five years and added the title of chief operating officer in 2021. Before joining the company in 2020, he was the chief restaurant officer and executive vice president for Blaze Pizza. Before that, he was vice president of operations for CKE Restaurants.
Jim Bitticks was promoted to CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken after serving as president and chief operating officer.
In his new role at Dave’s, Bitticks will focus on strengthening franchise operations, expanding the brand’s domestic and international footprint, and ensuring consistency for Dave’s as it continues to grow, according to the company.
Roark Capital acquired Dave’s in June in a deal valued at $1 billion. The brand moved up 42 spots to No. 123 in the Franchise Times Top 400 with global sales of $636 million after posting a year-over-year increase of 56.5 percent and posting unit growth of nearly 44 percent in 2024.
Dave's came in at No. 2 on the recently released Franchise Times Fast & Serious ranking.
Under Phelps’ leadership, Dave’s went from one location to nearly 400, including restaurants in Canada, the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Prior to joining Dave’s, Phelps co-founded Wetzel’s Pretzels.
Noteworthy
John Owen is the new CEO of Blaze Pizza.
Former Scooter’s Coffee executive and restaurant veteran John Owen is the new CEO of Blaze Pizza after the company’s board of directors voted to approve his appointment. He replaces Beto Guajardo, who had served as the chief executive of the Atlanta-based pizza brand for three years.
Owen was chief operating officer of Scooter’s, which has more than 900 drive-thru locations across 32 states. Owen spent the majority of his career with McDonald’s, where he began as a crew member and ultimately rose to corporate vice president of strategy and execution. His career also includes serving as president and CEO of Subway Russia.
Savory Fund named Clay Dover as CEO and promoted co-founder and former CEO Shauna Smith to managing director of the Utah-based private equity firm. Dover has more than three decades of restaurant experience, including executive leadership roles at Raising Cane’s, Pei Wei and, most recently, Velvet Taco. Under Smith’s leadership with her husband, Andrew, Savory has grown to 13 portfolio brands, representing more than 370 restaurants across 26 states and more than $515 million in annual revenue.
Restaurant Brands International named Amy Alarcon as the new head chef for Burger King's U.S. and Canada division, and Bobby O’Brien as the new head chef for Popeyes’ U.S. and Canada division. Alarcon was the culinary leader and head chef for Popeyes for 18 years and O’Brien was the culinary leader for the brand for 17 years.
Milestones
Chick-fil-A is commemorating its 80th anniversary in 2026 by deploying limited-time retro packaging and releasing new menu items. It's also selling 3,000 specialty gold fan cups through July 1 for $3.99 each, with designs inspired by the brand’s past and present, according to Franchise Times' sibling publication Food on Demand.
Jason’s Deli kicked off its 50th anniversary with new menu items and a nationwide “Deli-Bration” cookie giveaway. A family-owned, fast-casual restaurant chain, Jason’s Deli was founded in Beaumont, Texas, in 1976 by Joe Tortorice Jr. It has more than 235 locations in 27 states.
Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady and Pizza Hut teamed up to kick off a new “Pizza Before the Hut” promotion.
Just for Fun
Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady and Pizza Hut teamed up to kick off a new “Pizza Before the Hut” campaign celebrating the debut of Pizza Hut’s new $10 deal on its 16-inch Big New Yorker pizza. The first college or professional quarterback to call “pizza” immediately before “hut” on a live nationally broadcast or cable television game’s play call unlocks a reward of a free post-season Big New Yorker pizza party for their city.
In the new multi-channel advertising campaign, Brady, who won seven Super Bowls—six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—trades in his playbook for a Pizza Hut delivery bag and leans into his signature call, finding a “second career” as a Pizza Hut delivery driver so he can keep saying “hut” off the field, even in retirement.