Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar today announced the addition of Joel Yashinsky as senior vice president and chief marketing officer to the brand’s leadership team. With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Yashinsky brings a wealth of knowledge and insight from his previous marketing roles and will report directly to John Cywinski, president, Applebee’s.
“What I value most about Joel, other than his restaurant marketing experience, is his strategic capability and belief in franchisee collaboration,” said Cywinski. “Joel is a smart, creative, mature and highly-regarded executive with a deep operational orientation. He has also successfully navigated two turnarounds within his McDonald’s tenure, which will serve him well. Bottom line, culture and team are important to Joel, and he fully understands the intensely competitive nature of this industry and our particular opportunities here at Applebee’s.”
In this role, Yashinsky will have oversight of all aspects of Applebee’s marketing, including strategic positioning, marketing plan development, media, advertising, merchandising, beverage innovation and public relations. In addition, he will lead our Franchise Marketing Committee in partnership with franchisees.
Prior to joining Applebee’s, Yashinsky held a variety of positions with McDonald’s. Most recently he served as the marketing vice president for McDonald’s USA, overseeing the brand’s U.S. marketing calendar, promotions, advertising, sports marketing and agency relationships. Before joining McDonald’s USA, Yashinsky led the brand’s Canadian division as chief marketing officer consisting of 1,400 restaurants and 300 franchisees. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Bowling Green State University.
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar offers a lively casual dining experience combining simple, craveable American fare, classic drinks and local drafts. All Applebee’s restaurants are owned and operated by entrepreneurs dedicated to serving their communities and offering quality food and drinks with genuine, neighborly service. Applebee’s is one of the world’s largest casual dining brands; as of Sept. 30, 2017, there were 1,945 Applebee’s franchise restaurants throughout all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 14 other countries. Applebee’s is franchised by subsidiaries of DineEquity, Inc. [NYSE: DIN], which is one of the world’s largest full-service restaurant companies.
