The Krystal Company, famous for its iconic square hamburgers, today announced the appointment of Carl Jakaitis as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Company. Jakaitis, who will oversee Accounting, Finance, Information Technology (IT) and Supply Chain Management, will report to Omar Janjua, President & CEO for The Krystal Company. The appointment is effective immediately.
“Carl’s 35 years of restaurant industry experience will provide The Krystal Company with the additional leadership and expertise we need to continue to develop this iconic brand and help fuel our system growth,” Janjua said.
Jakaitis most recently served as CFO of McAlister’s Deli where he was responsible for finance, accounting, legal and franchise administration for the 325-store chain.
Prior to McAlister’s, Jakaitis was CFO with Petrus Brands where he oversaw the Finance, Accounting and administrative functions for the organization. He also worked closely with Planet Smoothie and Shane’s Rib Shack franchisees, spanning more than 170 restaurants and 15 states. Under his leadership, operating expenses were reduced by 10 percent and the Planet Smoothie chain was successfully sold in November of 2011.
Before joining Petrus, he ran his own consulting business specializing in part-time CFO assignments. From 1994 to 2004, Jakaitis served as CFO for Church’s Chicken, where he was responsible for the financials for 1,600 company and franchise restaurants. His restaurant experience also includes finance roles at Pizza Hut and Boston Market.
Jakaitis earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Psychology from Kansas State University.
Founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1932, The Krystal Company is the oldest quick service restaurant chain in the South. Its hamburgers are still served fresh and hot off the grill on the iconic square bun at more than 350 restaurants in 11 states. Krystal’s Atlanta-based Restaurant Support Center serves a team of 6,000 employees. For more information, visit www.Krystal.com or www.facebook.com/Krystal or follow the brand on Twitter and Instagram @Krystal.
Argonne Capital Group is a private investment firm focused on investments in the multi-unit restaurant, retail and service industries, where the firm targets between $25 – $75 million of equity per transaction. Argonne also has a significant presence in multi-tenant retail real estate through its RCG Ventures platform. In aggregate, Argonne and its affiliates have over $700 million of equity under management.
