• by Teresa Buyikian , February 24, 2025

One old-school chicken chain is kicking off 2025 with new leadership.

Church’s Texas Chicken today announced the promotion of Roland Gonzalez to CEO. Gonzalez, who has served as COO for the company for the last two years, replaces Joe Guith, who is leaving the company.

“[R]oland Gonzalez [is a] visionary leader who already has had a tremendous impact on Church’s transformation as COO,” said Church’s parent company High Bluff Capital Partners’ founder Anand Gowda in the announcement. “His deep understanding of the QSR industry, commitment to growth-focused operational excellence and dedication to driving franchisee profitability make him the ideal leader to guide Church’s through its next major evolution.”

Prior to joining Church’s Texas Chicken, Gonzalez held senior leadership positions at several quick service and fast casual restaurant brands, including Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, as well as serving as executive vice president of operations at Virtual Dining Concepts and head of global operations standards and strategy at Restaurant Brands International.

Church’s was founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1952 by George W. Church. The brand operates under two names, Church’s Texas Chicken in the U.S. and Texas Chicken, which is used primarily outside the U.S. Acquired by High Bluff Capital Partners in 2021, the chain currently has over 1,500 locations in 26 countries and global markets, reporting system-wide sales of over $1.5 billion.

“Our priority now is to … significantly accelerate our momentum and expansion as we strive to reach $2 billion in system sales within the next few years while maximizing franchisee profitability,” added Gowda.