Red Robin Gourmet Burgers tapped restaurant industry veteran G.J. Hart to serve as the restaurant chain’s president and chief executive officer, effective Sept. 6, 2022.
Hart will succeed Paul Murphy, Red Robin’s current president and CEO. Murphy plans to retire at the end of 2022 when his employment agreement expires, per a company release. Murphy will remain as a special advisor to the company until March 31, 2023.
A member of the Red Robin board of directors since August 2019, Hart will continue to serve in that capacity in addition to his roles as CEO and president. Hart most recently served as CEO of Torchy’s Tacos from 2018 until 2021. Prior to that, he was executive chairman and CEO of California Pizza Kitchen from 2011 to 2018. From 2000 to 2004, Hart served as president of Texas Roadhouse Holdings. From 2004 to 2011 Hart held additional responsibilities as CEO and served as a member of the Texas Roadhouse board. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hart held additional leadership positions at Al Copeland Investments, TriFoods International, New Zealand Lamb Company, and Shenandoah Valley Poultry, among others.
