Phil Friedman plans to step down as chief executive of McAlister’s Deli in the fall, intending to “look for something new,” he told Nation’s Restaurant News on Friday.

Ridgeland, Miss.-based McAlister’s, a more than 300-unit fast-casual sandwich chain, has hired a search firm to find a replacement, he said.

When asked why he decided to make the move, Friedman said, “There are a lot of reasons. I’ve been with McAlister’s for 11 years, and it’s a good time to do something else.”