The appointment comes less than a week after Bradford Richmond took over as CEO, replacing longtime leader Greg Levin
Less than a week after naming Bradford Richmond as its interim chief executive officer, BJ’s Restaurants has appointed a new president and chief concept officer, Lyle D. Tick, as well. Tick, who has served as president and CEO of On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina since December 2023, begins his role Sept. 9.
Tick previously served as president of Buffalo Wild Wings from 2018 to 2023, where he led a team on the revitalization of the brand, including a menu and restaurant design revamp and the launch of the Buffalo Wild Wings GO sub-brand. From 2016 to 2018, he served as managing director, Boots Retail USA for Walgreens Boots Alliance, where he led the re-organization and scaling of the beauty brands business in the Americas, establishing No7 as a leading anti-aging serum brand in the United States.
From 2011 to 2015, Tick served in global and North American marketing leadership roles at Bacardi, leading the white spirits portfolio. Prior, he served in various executive leadership roles at marketing and advertising agencies, including at J. Walter Thompson, Gotham, and McGarryBowen.
“We are delighted to welcome Lyle to the BJ’s team. Lyle has a history of leading iconic brands to unlock new chapters of growth and drive consumer relevance. Lyle’s strategic customer focus and passion for brand clarity will enable BJ’s to enhance its relevance and awareness. In addition to his experience and affinity for the casual dining space, Lyle’s extensive experience with consumer goods and spirit brands will bring a fresh perspective to our marketing, innovation, culinary, beverage and brewing teams. I believe he will be a great addition and complement to our leadership team,” Richmond said in a statement.
“I am thrilled to join BJ’s as it shapes its next chapter of growth and prosperity delivering on its values and brand promise to guests and team members as well as delivering value for its shareholders and other stakeholders. I look forward to working with Brad and the leadership team to drive increased awareness of the BJ’s brand as well as higher sales, traffic and margin improvement to position the Company for ongoing growth and an increased share of market,” Tick added in a statement.
BJ’s finished 2023 with $1.33 billion in sales, according to Technomic data, a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Founded in 1978, BJ’s owns and operates over 200 casual dining restaurants in 31 states.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
