A growing Southeastern BBQ chain has added
to its C-Suite.
Late last week, Sonny’s BBQ announced it had promoted two of its executives to more prominent roles. George Allan has been named president, and Katie Love has been tapped
as CMO.
“George's proven track record of driving operational excellence and franchisee profitability, combined with Katie's innovative approach to brand modernization and guest
engagement, perfectly position Sonny's BBQ for future proofing growth and expansion,” said Jamie Yarmuth, CEO at Sonny's BBQ, in a release.
George McAllan was previously chief growth
officer of the 100 unit-chain. As president, he is charged with “play[ing] an increasingly larger role in ensuring improved franchisee profitability and regional market growth.”
McAllan joined Sonny’s in November 2024, where he brought “decades of experience working as both a franchisor and franchisee.” He served as chief operations officer for both
Quality Restaurant Group and Southern Enterprise Holdings franchise groups. He previously spent over 24 years at Dunkin’ Brands, most recently as vice president of international and director of
operations.
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Love has served as Sonny’s vice president of marketing since January, and before that was the chain’s director of brand management. During her 10+ years at the company
she has also held positions as senior brand manager and digital marketing manager. Earlier in her career, Love spent time on the agency side at Purple Rock Scissors and Push as a producer.
Sonny’s is in the midst of a “multiyear growth strategy, built to emphasize franchisee profitability, expand operational excellence, authentic hospitality and strengthen connections
with guests.” The brand is in the process of building out a test kitchen in order to “allow for further culinary exploration.”