Wingstop names Doug Willmarth CMO

Wingstop Restaurants Inc. has named Doug Willmarth chief marketing officer, the company said Thursday.

Willmarth succeeds Andy Howard at the fast-casual chain.

Most recently, Willmarth served as chief marketing officer for Dallas-based Rave Cinemas. He has held senior marketing positions with Pizza Hut, Frito Lay, Brinker International and Kraft Foods.

“Doug has a proven track record of driving growth and building brands,” said Charlie Morrison, president and chief executive of Richardson, Texas-based Wingstop. “His leadership, world-class marketing experience and passion for the restaurant industry are the perfect fit for Wingstop.”

The 550-unit chain, which reached nine consecutive years of same-store sales increases in December, opened 57 new restaurants in 2012.

Wingstop is a division of Atlanta-based private-equity firm Roark Capital Group.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: February 14, 2013 Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly characterized Wingstop as a casual-dining chain. It is a fast-casual chain.

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