Texas Roadhouse today announced that Jane Grote Abell has been appointed to the company’s board of directors, increasing membership from eight to nine. Abell is the executive chairwoman of the board of directors and chief purpose officer at Columbus, Ohio-based Donatos Pizza, which counts over 460 locations in 29 states.
Abell is also a founding family member of Donatos Pizza and Jane’s Dough Premium Foods. She previously served as senior vice president of business development for Donatos, where she led franchising and development during the time when Donatos was owned by McDonald’s.
“We are excited to have Jane join our board of directors. With over 30 years in the restaurant industry, her operations experience and commitment to people-first leadership will be an asset to our company,” CEO Jerry Morgan said in a statement.
With the addition of Abell, the chain’s board now includes Chairman Gregory Moore, James Zarley, Curtis Warfield, Michael Crawford, Kathleen Widmer, Jerry Morgan, Donna Epps, and Wayne Jones.
Additionally, in an 8-K filed March 1, Texas Roadhouse announced compensation adjustments for executives at its Louisville, Ky.-based headquarters. The adjustments were made to “align with the target percentage parameters used by management,” and included increased base salaries for Morgan, as well as President Gina Tobin, CFO Chris Morgan, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Chris Colson, Chief Technology Officer Hernan Mujica, and Chief Communications Officer Travis Doster. These executives’ target incentive bonuses also increased.
Texas Roadhouse has been on a tear as of late, with over 11 consecutive years of positive traffic growth. The company’s most recent quarterly comp sales were up nearly 10%, while average unit volumes surpassed $7.6 million in 2023. According to Technomic Ignite data, sales at company-owned restaurants have increased by over 200% in the past five years, while unit growth is up about 70%. There are currently over 740 restaurants systemwide in 49 states and 10 international markets. The company plans to open about 30 new restaurants this year across its three brands – Texas Roadhouse, Jaggers, and Bubba’s 33.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
