Category: Catering & Events

he Windsor Court, an elegant escape located in the heart of New Orleans, proudly announces the promotion of Jason Granger to Director of Food & Beverage. With more than 15 years in the hospitality industry specific to food and beverage at The Windsor Court, Granger will continue to cultivate strong relationships while ensuring the legendary essence of The Windsor Court is delivered in all programming, showcasing an authentic New Orleans culture.  Granger has led the team in various roles at The Windsor Court since 2009, starting as a server assistant in The Grill Room. Spending time in The Polo Club, Banquets and Le Salon, he was promoted to Outlet Manager and then Director of Public Dining. Thanks to his intimate understanding of The Windsor Court and its offerings as well as his time working alongside the previous Director of Food & Beverage, Granger is thoroughly prepared to lead in his new role.  

                                                                                                                                                                                    

The Watermark Hotel has welcomed a new sous chef at Wren, Scott Han. The DMV native found his way towards his culinary career by watching PBS cooking shows growing up and was inspired by how food culture could bring people together in happiness. Scott attended and graduated from James Madison University where he earned a degree in biology and worked for government contractors doing research and testing on mosquito borne illnesses. After a time, he decided to follow his passion and turned to the hospitality industry. Scott gained experience and trained for management and worked FOH before moving his feet into the kitchen. After about 15 years in the hospitality industry and 13 of them being in the kitchen, Scott has owned and operated restaurants and was previously featured in The Washington Posts’ “Ultimate Guide to Ramen” for Kizuna. 

Hott Off the Presses

DALLAS — A conscious decision to stay true to the strategy it has been working on for more than two years — delivering on digital, off-premises, value and scale — helped Brinker International Inc. weather the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during fiscal 2020. A new chicken wings concept also looks promising.

“We didn’t have to scramble when the pandemic hit,” Wyman T. Roberts, president and chief executive officer, said during an Aug. 12 conference call with analysts. “We walked into it with seven solid quarters of performance. All we had to do is stay focused and push the accelerator a little harder. As a result, we set the bar in casual dining, landing the top spot in sales and traffic for three straight months according to KNAPP-TRACK, and we’re poised for continued future success.”

Even so, the pandemic hit Brinker hard.

Net income in the year ended June 24 was $24.4 million, equal to 64¢ per share on the common stock, down 84% from $154.9 million, or $4.04 per share, in fiscal 2019. Net sales fell 4.4% to $3.079 billion from $3.218 billion.

Despite the hit to financials, Brinker said it has seen positive signs in results generated by its Chili’s restaurant chain recently, and a new concept has the company excited about the year ahead.

Using its existing strengths in the digital space and off-premises, Brinker during the last week of fiscal 2020 accomplished something that Roberts claims “no other restaurant company has ever done” — launch a virtual brand in all its outlets across the United States in a single day.

Developed over the course of six months and launched overnight with minimal investment in a consumer channel where demand is growing by more than 100% annually, It’s Just Wings leverages existing Chili’s and Maggiano’s kitchens and cooks to sell chicken wings (smoked, fried and boneless) featuring a variety of sauces. It’s Just Wings operates exclusively through a partnership with DoorDash.

“Sales continue to build every week, and we clearly see the potential to exceed $150 million in the brand’s first year, which would secure It’s Just Wings a spot in the top 200 restaurant brands,” Roberts said. “Over the years, casual dining has been deemed for being overbuilt. We believe this is our opportunity to prove that maybe it isn’t overbuilt, it’s just underutilized. It’s Just Wings leverages existing buildings, equipment and labor. Even after aggressive pricing and marketing, buying quality ingredients and packaging and paying our last-mile logistics partner, we’re generating strong flow through.”

Roberts said It’s Just Wings guests are highly incremental to Brinker’s concepts, and feedback has been “extremely positive.”

“Taking into account our scale, the capacity of our kitchens, our exclusive partnership with DoorDash, we believe our ability to win in this space is unmatched,” he said. “So, we’re testing additional virtual concepts and learning how to drive visibility among the millions of DoorDash guests looking for food delivery options. And how to continually improve our operations to meet consumer demand for speed, food quality and value. We are pleased to have not one but two brands that rank among the most popular on the DoorDash platform, and we’re excited about the potential that lies ahead.”

DALLAS – Brinker International announced on May 16 that Wyman Roberts will retire as chief executive officer and president of the company. This includes leaving his position as president of Chili’s Grill & Bar and member of the board of directors starting on June 5.

Kevin Hochman was appointed president and chief executive officer of Brinker along with the other posts held by Roberts.

Roberts served as CEO and president at the company since 2013. Before that he held various roles with Brinker starting in 2005 including chief marketing officer of Brinker and president of Maggiano’s Little Italy. He will continue to serve the company in an advisory role for 12 months as part of the company’s succession plan.

“Since starting with Brinker 17 years ago, I have been inspired by the passion for making guests feel special about what our ChiliHeads, Maggiano’s Teammates and BrinkerHeads bring to our restaurants every single day,” Roberts said. “It has been a privilege to lead and be a part of this great company. I am impressed with Kevin’s character and leadership skills, and I look forward to seeing him take our company to the next level of success as we make this transition.”

Prior to joining Brinker, Hochman worked as the president and chief concept officer for KFC US. From December 2019 until January 2022, he also worked as president of Pizza Hut US at the same time. Before working at Pizza Hut and KFC, Hochman spent 18 years at various brand management and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble. 

“I am honored to be appointed Brinker’s president and CEO and appreciate the support of Wyman and the Board,” Hochman said. “I’ve been very impressed with our operations and technology and see huge potential for growing our iconic Chili’s and Maggiano’s brands. Brinker’s mission is about making people feel special, and that’s something I’ve tried to do throughout my career.”

Brinker owns, operates or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two US territories. 

DALLAS — Casual dining restaurant company home to Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy brands, Brinker International Inc., welcomed James Butler as the new senior vice president and chief supply chain officer.

Butler will oversee Brinker’s supply chain operations, including procurement, food safety and quality assurance, distribution and logistics, and brand program management.

“James is a visionary leader who builds collaborative, integrated teams and coaches future leaders to continually improve and drive results,” said Kevin Hochman, president and chief executive officer at Brinker International. “He will play a key role in executing on our new strategic pillars, working cross-functionally to help us improve and innovate on the core Chili’s food categories we want to win on — including burgers, fajitas, chicken crispers and margaritas — to improve our guests’ experience and increase traffic.”

Before joining Brinker, Butler led supply chain management for several restaurant brands. Most recently he served as senior vice president of KFC Supply Chain at Restaurant Chain Solutions LLC. He also previously served as vice president, strategy and integrated business planning at Georgia Pacific and as a management consultant with Deloitte Consulting LLC.

“I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work with the Brinker teams on exciting new initiatives to help transform supply chain and procurement strategies that will drive growth, impact the bottom line and maintain operational excellence,” Butler said. “This is an exciting time for Brinker, and I’m thrilled to join the team on this new journey.”