Former president at Driven Brands to lead casual-dining company
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Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux has named Chris Dawson as CEO, the company said Tuesday.
The Baton Rouge, La.-based Walk-On’s said Dawson most recently served as the president of the paint and collision division of Charlotte, N.C.-based Driven Brands Inc.
Dawson succeeds Scott Taylor in the role. “Dawson quickly rose from his initial role establishing the Take 5 Oil Change brand to his most recent role as president of the more than 1,400-unit paint and collision vertical at Driven Brands,” Walk-On’s said in a press release.
“Walk-On’s has been recognized as one of the top concepts in the industry, a testament to the high-quality food and family-friendly atmosphere,” said Dawson in a statement. “My last few years have been spent scaling brands nationally, and I look forward to leading Walk-On’s on this same journey.”
Brandon Landry, co-founder and chairman of Walk-On’s, added: "Chris and I share a passion for building a strong culture and a winning team. He has built successful franchise systems, and the teams that allow him to deliver on the goals of franchisee profitability and amazing guest satisfaction.”
Atlanta-based 10 Point Capital in October 2020 made a growth investment in the Walk-On’s brand.
“The next few years are about leadership and building a world-class infrastructure to support our franchisees as we scale,” said Scott Pressly, managing director of 10 Point Capital. “Chris joining the brand underscores our commitment to investing in support of this growth.”
Walk-On’s, founded in 2003, recently opened it 78th location.
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