Golden Krust, a fast-casual Jamaican restaurant based in New York City, has named Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson its chairman and chief executive officer and Glenn Fancie its chief financial officer.
Hawthorne-Robinson, a sibling of founder Lowell F. Hawthorne’s, has been involved with the chain since it was founded in 1989. It now operates more than 110 locations in eight states and sells retail products, including its signature beef patties, in some 22,000 stores. The new CEO got her start in her father’s bakery, Hawthorne & Sons Bakery in Jamaica, which inspired the creation of Golden Krust. She has been involved in expanding the business, managing franchises, and driving growth. She was particularly integral, starting in 2005, in growing Golden Krust in the Atlanta area to 18 locations, according to the company.
She also was involved in other positions, including managing banking, real estate, human resources, and legal affairs, and also owned her own manufacturing and distribution company.
In her new role, Hawthorne-Robinson will concentrate on introducing new menu items while staying true to Golden Krust’s Caribbean roots. She also plans to expand the company’s digital presence and upgrading restaurants’ ambience to reflect a more island-inspired vibe, the company said.
Fancie joined Golden Krust in March of 2022 as its comptroller and has worked to establish budget controls and streamline processes for the chain. In addition to typical CFO duties, Fancie is working to upgrade Golden Krust’s plant facilities to increase production, as well as expand the company’s customer base.
Prior to joining Golden Krust, Fancie was comptroller for AERCO International, a water heater manufacturer, where he and his team oversaw manufacturing, price variances, and payroll. Prior to that, he was CFO and chief operating officer of manufacturing company ALU, where he was responsible for revamping the company’s inventory system. Before that he was vice president of finance for Transamerica insurance company.
He is a certified public accountant and holds an MBA from Pace University in New York City.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
