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Can turnaround specialist Paul Murphy save Red Robin?Can turnaround specialist Paul Murphy save Red Robin?

Analysts react to CEO appointment, rejection of Vintage bid

Nancy Luna, Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

September 6, 2019

3 Min Read
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Paul Murphy, newly appointed CEO of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc., is no stranger to dealing with companies in distress.

As the CEO of Lake Forest, Calif.-based Del Taco, Murphy led the quick-service brand amid the aftermath of the Great Recession, where he made the bold move to refresh stores and reposition the brand as a so-called “QSR-plus” option for consumers. The idea: guests could turn to Del Taco for a dollar burrito, but they could also splurge on a $5 Epic Burrito. The premium “Chipotle-inspired” big burrito was first introduced in 2013.

“We feel there’s white space around quality and value between the Taco Bells and the Chipotles and Qdobas of the world,” Murphy said in 2016.

At Noodles, Murphy joined the company's board in 2017...

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About the Author

Nancy Luna

Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Nancy Luna is a senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News and a contributing editor at Supermarket News. She covers the industry's largest and most talked about fast-food brands including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. As a veteran business reporter based in Southern California, Nancy has covered some of the country's most beloved food and retail brands including In-N-Out, Taco Bell, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Target and Costco. Luna is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton. When she's not digging for news on her beat, you can find Nancy regaling her fans about her latest dining adventures on her Fast Food Maven social media channels. Contact [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fastfoodmaven

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