Chevys Fresh Mex, a national border cantina-style Mexican restaurant chain, announces an expanded leadership team with the promotion of Paul Martin to vice president of operations and the hiring of Kent Russell for its director of marketing position.
In his new role, Martin is responsible for building sales, running operations, managing profits and developing employees at all levels of the company. He most recently served as regional director at Chevys, managing a group of restaurants in the Central Valley, East Bay and Sacramento markets. Martin is recognized throughout the company for his ability to deliver consistent results regardless of the economic and operating environment.
“Paul’s deep knowledge of the Chevys brand, combined with his reputation for cultivating talent, passion for developing people, and creating systems of accountability, are among the many skills he brings to this critical position,” said Edie Ames, chief operating officer of Real Mex Restaurants, which owns and operates the Chevys Fresh Mex brand.
Prior to his career with Chevys, Martin served as an area manager at Denny’s Corp. He also brings 16 years of restaurant experience at McDonald’s, where he was responsible for training, franchising and operating company restaurants.
Kent Russell joins Chevys Fresh Mex following many years of experience in marketing and strategic planning with major industry brands including Taco Bell, Yum! Brands and Lone Star Steakhouse. As director of marketing at Chevys, Russell leads cross-functional brand strategies from the Real Mex Restaurant’s Cypress office. During his career at Taco Bell, Russell led efforts to develop growth, integration and execution plans for all national promotions and testing initiatives, while focusing on optimizing partner brand programs in more than 2,000 company-owned and franchise restaurants.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have someone of Kent’s caliber, given his extensive experience in all areas along the marketing spectrum,” Ames added. “He’s quickly added value to our team and we look forward to his leadership for many years to come.”
Founded in 1986 in Alameda, Calif., Chevys Fresh Mex sets the standard for “fresh” and fun with made-from-scratch recipes served up in a border cantina atmosphere that transports guests to the “Chevys State of Mind” – an escape from the daily grind of every kind. Chevys’ lunch, dinner and cantina menus feature bold flavors starting with the freshest, most high-quality ingredients, hand-crafted from scratch recipes, and blessed by the almighty sweet and smoky mesquite grill to achieve true sensory nirvana. Accented with Fresh Fruit Margaritas and infused with a little mojo, Chevys promises a restoration of spirit when guests most need the fix. Headquartered in Union City, Calif., Chevys Fresh Mex is owned by Real Mex Restaurants and operates 40 corporate and 16 franchised restaurants from coast to coast. For more information and a full list of locations, visit www.chevys.com.
