Rusty Taco gets a new president, plus more executive updates

Executive Summary: Daniel Smith becomes president of the fast-casual taco chain, Smoothie King hires a new VP of real estate and more.

Daniel Smith, the former COO of Hopdoddy Burger Bar, was named president of Rusty Taco. Smith spent six years with Hopdoddy, and he is a veteran of the industry. He previously spent 26 years with Claim Jumper Restaurants and was in key positions with Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Bonefish Grill. He was also a multi-unit Pieology franchisee. As the new president at Rusty Taco, which is owned by Gala Capital Partners, Smith said he is committed to enhancing operations, refining marketing strategies and strengthening the brand’s position for growth.

Brian Olson is the new vice president of real estate for Smoothie King. He joined the company last month after three years in franchise sales with CKE Restaurants, the parent of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.

Swig has tapped Daniel Batty as its new chief development officer. Batty is the former vice president of design and construction for Dutch Bros Coffee, where he oversaw the growth from 29 new stores in 2018 to 180 this year. Batty’s previous experience includes stints at McDonald’s, CKE Restaurants and Dunkin Brands.

Restaurant Brands International named Patrick Siewert senior advisor for the Asia-Pacific region. Siewert was managing director for the Carlyle Group in Asia through last year and led the investment firm’s 2017 acquisition of 28% of McDonald’s China and Hong Kong businesses. He will be based in Hong Kong and will advise RBI, owner of Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons, on the Asia-Pacific region.

Smashburger has named Thomas Prather chief marketing officer. He previously worked at Starbucks, where he contributed to domestic and international marketing, brand development and product innovation. Smashburger’s CEO Denise Nelsen also worked at Starbucks previously.

‌Nelsen said in a statement, “Having previously worked alongside Thomas, I know his consistency, attention to detail, and ability to stay current on emerging trends and consumer expectations will help us deliver on our commitment to exceeding guest expectations.”

The owner of the HopCat brewpub chain has promoted two longtime employees to top roles. New BarFly CEO Craig Stage was hired 10 years ago as an assistant manager and worked his way up to VP of operations in 2022. And CFO Andrew Woodruff left his career in public accounting to join BarFly in 2018. Former CEO Ned Lidvall, an industry veteran, will stay with BarFly as executive chairman. In addition to 11-unit HopCat, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based BarFly also owns the one-off Stella’s Lounge.

Sonny’s BBQ announced Kris Larson as VP of franchise development. In this role, he will manage growth and development of the barbecue chain as it continues to expand its footprint. Larson previously served as senior director of franchise sales for Bojangles, and has held positions at other franchised brands, including School of Rock, Dunkin' and Ace Hardware. “We are beyond thrilled to welcome Kris Larson to our team, and to have him work alongside us as we continue to support our franchisees in this period of growth and expansion,” said CEO Jamie Yarmuth in a statement. “Kris’ franchise and leadership experience will be invaluable to us as the brand evolves moving forward.”