ATLANTA Ted's Montana Grill is realigning its operating structure by adding two regional directors to oversee operations for its 49 restaurants nationwide.
Previously the entire chain was under the operational leadership of one director, Jake Hickton. When Hickton left the company recently to pursue other opportunities, Ted's saw it as an opportunity to divide the leadership regionally, said a company spokesperson.
The company promoted Brett Fraser to director of operations for the company's western region. Prior to that he was regional manager for the group's Denver market. Fraser is a 25-year restaurant industry veteran with stints as a joint-venture partner of Carrabba's Italian Grills in Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
Hugo Marin is the new director of operations for the eastern region. He, too, has 25 years of experience in the industry, most recently as vice president of operations for Al Copeland Investments. He also ran operations for The Cheesecake Factory, Bear Bagels and Enchiladas LLC and held management positions with Romano's Macaroni Grill.
Fraser and Marin will be members of the company's executive team and will report directly to the executive leadership council.
George McKerrow Jr., president and CEO of Ted's Montana Grill, said in a statement, "Brett and Hugo have years of experience in restaurant operations working for both regional and national brands. We're excited to add their extraordinary talent to our management team."
Ted's Montana Grill bills itself as a classic American grill serving fresh, made-from-scratch dishes in a warm, relaxed setting of casual luxury. The company was founded in 2002 by media entrepreneur and environmentalist Ted Turner and restaurateur George McKerrow Jr. Based in Atlanta, it currently has 49 restaurants in 18 states.