Harsha Agadi has been named interim chief executive of The Krystal Co., according to a company spokeswoman in an e-mail to NRN. He replaces Doug Pendergast, who left the company.
A search for a permanent chief executive is underway, added Agadi, who is currently non-executive chairman of Krystal’s board of directors.
Agadi is a 30-year restaurant industry veteran, who was previously executive chairman of the board of Quiznos. He also oversaw Friendly’s during its 2011 bankruptcy. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of Church’s Chicken.
The move comes two months after Krystal named a new chief marketing officer, Jason Abelkop, formerly of Old Country Buffet parent Ovation Brands, and Chris Kermode as vice president of supply chain.
Since Pendergast joined the company, Krystal’s unit-level profitability has risen, and the chain started opening restaurants again, although plans to open between 17 and 20 restaurants this year had not materialized.
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