Checkers & Rally’s, an iconic and innovative drive-thru quick service restaurant chain, announced today that Frances Allen has been named Chief Executive Officer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors, effective February 17, 2020. Ms. Allen succeeds Rick Silva, who has decided to leave the company after 13 years as CEO and President.
Ms. Allen comes to Checkers & Rally’s with a proven track record of success in the restaurant industry and deep expertise across brand strategy, menu and marketing, franchising, restaurant technology, and restaurant operations, among other disciplines. Most recently, Allen served as Chief Executive Officer of Boston Market, where she implemented a multi-faceted transformation plan setting up the brand for future growth. Prior to Boston Market, Allen served as President of Jack-in-the-Box from 2014 to 2018, where she held full strategic and operational responsibility for the 2,200-unit, $3 billion hamburger quick service restaurant chain, generating superior results and upgrading the quality of the menu. Allen’s prior leadership experience includes successful tenures as Chief Brand Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Denny’s Corporation, where she helped lead a successful turnaround and repositioned the brand as “America’s Diner,” and as Chief Marketing Officer of Dunkin’ Donuts USA, where she played a key role in elevating the brand from a regional to a national player. She has also held leadership roles at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, PepsiCo, and Frito-Lay.
Kevin Mailender, member of the company’s Board of Directors and Partner at Oak Hill Capital, said: “We are delighted that Frances will be leading Checkers & Rally’s through its next leg of growth. She is an accomplished leader in the restaurant industry. Her wealth of experience with leading brands and impressive set of skills will be highly valuable to our business and its outstanding franchisees. With a demonstrated ability to develop and inspire winning teams, Frances is the right leader to guide Checkers & Rally’s to its full potential.” Mr. Mailender added, “On behalf of the entire Checkers & Rally’s family, I would like to thank Rick Silva for his partnership and many years of leadership. Rick has played a key role in positioning the system for long-term success, and we wish him well on his future endeavors.”
Ms. Allen said: “I am thrilled to be joining this unique brand with so much potential for growth. Checkers & Rally’s will continue its tradition of putting the customer first and serving its communities by delivering high quality, craveable food at exceptional values. There is much work to do, but I am eager to build on the company’s recent momentum and set out on this exciting journey alongside Checkers & Rally’s passionate employees and talented franchisees.”
Based in Tampa, Florida, Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc. operates and franchises Checkers and Rally’s quick service restaurants. For over 30 years, Checkers & Rally’s has been known for its delicious craveable food, convenient drive-thru service, exceptional value, and a people-first approach. With nearly 900 restaurants and room to grow, Checkers & Rally’s is a proven brand with flexible building formats that is aggressively expanding across the country. In recent years, the brand has been awarded several of the industry’s most prestigious awards including: Ranking #88 on Entrepreneur’s 2019 Franchise 500, Top Food and Beverage Franchise by Franchise Business Review, 2016, 2017, & 2018, Best Franchise Deal and “Best Drive-Thru in America” by QSR Magazine, the “Hot! Again” award from Nation’s Restaurant News, and “#1 Most Craveable Fries” by Restaurant Business. For more information about franchise opportunities with Checkers & Rally’s, please visit www.checkersfranchising.com.
