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Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar names Scott Rodriguez chief culinary officerApplebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar names Scott Rodriguez chief culinary officer

Rodriguez has also worked for Papa Johns and BJ’s Restaurants

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

October 24, 2022

1 Min Read
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Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar on Monday announced the appointment of Scott Rodriguez to the role of senior vice president and chief culinary officer. Rodriguez most recently held a similar position at Papa Johns, and before that spent 11 years at fellow casual-dining chain BJ’s Restaurants.

“Scott possesses a unique blend of culinary creativity, operational pragmatism, and big-brand leadership,” said Applebee’s president John Cywinski. “Most importantly, Scott loves food and the role it plays within Applebee’s Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood positioning.”

Scott_Rodriguez_Culinary.gifRodriguez, left, will also be part of Applebee’s operations and marketing teams, according to a company release. In those capacities he will help “drive alignment on future innovation alongside brand leaders and franchise partners.”

“I have a lifelong admiration for Applebee’s and am thrilled to be part of this incredible leadership team,” Rodriguez said. “A successful culinary strategy begins with our guests and restaurant-level excellence. I’m spending my first few months in-restaurant learning from our teams and franchise partners and listening to our guests in terms of what they love and expect from Applebee’s.”

At Papa Johns, Rodriguez developed the Papa Bowls, “crustless pizzas” made with traditional pizza toppings but no crust, which launched systemwide in August. Just last week that company launched a trio of new menu items centered on bacon.

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Applebee’s, part of Dine Brands Global, has more than 1,600 restaurants in the U.S., two territories and 11 countries.

Contact Leigh Anne Zinsmeister at [email protected] 

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected] 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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