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Captain D’s names Cracker Barrel’s Jeff Wilson as CFOCaptain D’s names Cracker Barrel’s Jeff Wilson as CFO

Wilson spent the past 15 years with Cracker Barrel and joins Captain D’s as it recruits new franchisees.

Alicia Kelso, Executive Editor

August 10, 2023

2 Min Read
Captain D Existing Unit Resized Creates Express
Captain D's has a new CFO.Photo courtesy of Captain D's

Captain D’s today named Jeff Wilson as its chief financial officer. In this role, he is tasked with developing and executing financial strategies to support the company’s business plans, and with leading the finance department.

Wilson has spent the past 15 years at Cracker Barrel, most recently as the company’s vice president of finance and CFO of the Emerging Brands group. He also served as corporate controller and vice president of operations analysis for the company. Prior to his time with Cracker Barrel, Wilson joined Metromedia Restaurant Group in Dallas directly after college and worked his way up to CFO. He earned a master’s in business from the University of Texas at Dallas and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Idaho.  

“We are pleased to have Jeff join the Captain D’s executive team, bringing with him a wealth of finance, operations, and profitability enhancement skills in both public and private companies,” CEO and president Phil Greifeld said in a statement. “Our impressive AUVs and strong sales comps system-wide have contributed to accelerated growth with new and existing franchisees over the past several years, and we have no doubt that Jeff’s extensive leadership experience will help the brand continue to reach new heights.”

Related:Centre Partners buys Captain D’s again

Captain D’s, which was acquired by private-equity firm Centre Partners in 2022, includes more than 530 restaurants in 23 states. According to Datassential, the company grew sales by 11.5% from 2021 to 2022, to $633.5 million. AUVs also grew by more than 11% during that time, to $1.1 million. The company is recruiting franchisees to grow throughout the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states and has developed several restaurant prototypes to support that growth, including a new Express model that is less than 1,000 square feet.

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]

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About the Author

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

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