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Wingstop names Bill Engen COOWingstop names Bill Engen COO

Former 7-Eleven executive succeeds Bill Knight

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

September 11, 2014

1 Min Read
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Wingstop Restaurants Inc. has named Bill Engen chief operating officer, effective immediately, the company said Thursday.

Engen, who was most recently senior vice president of operations at 7-Eleven Inc.’s Eastern division, succeeds Bill Knight, who is retiring after leading Dallas-based Wingstop’s operations group for 11 years.

“Bill is a dynamic leader who brings a wealth of operations and management expertise to Wingstop,” said Charlie Morrison, Wingstop’s president and chief executive, in a statement.

“We’re opening restaurants at record pace both in the U.S. and abroad, and Bill will be a tremendous asset to our team and to our franchisees as we continue to drive dramatic growth in both restaurant count and sales,” Morrison added.

Most recently, Engen directed 7-Eleven’s operations for more than 4,000 franchised locations, which represent half of the company’s domestic business.

Prior to 7-Eleven, Engen worked for a decade at Circuit City Stores Inc., where he held several executive positions and oversaw the retailer’s operations for more than 700 locations.

“Wingstop is well positioned to further establish itself as one of the dominant brands in the fast-casual segment, and I am incredibly excited to join the team,” Engen said.

Wingstop, a division of Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group, has more than 670 restaurants in the United States, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia and Singapore.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

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