News

Brinker alum named Denny's CEO

January 10, 2011

Denny’s Corporation has announced the appointment of John C. Miller to the position of president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1, 2011. Miller succeeds Debra Smithart-Oglesby, who has filled the position on an interim basis since June 2010. Smithart-Oglesby will continue to serve as board chair for Denny’s.

Miller joins Denny’s management team with more than 30 years of restaurant industry experience. Since 2005, he has served as CEO and president of Taco Bueno Restaurants Inc.

Prior to Taco Bueno, Miller spent 17 years at Brinker International where he held numerous management positions. From 1997 to 2004, he served as president of Romano’s Macaroni Grill, where he helped reverse three years of declining sales and growth that generated 15 consecutive quarters of sales and profit increases, and more than doubled the company’s size. Miller also served as president of Brinker’s Mexican Concepts and was responsible for overseeing On the Border and Cozymel’s, two of the company’s high growth concepts.

“John is a proven leader in the restaurant industry who has the talent and experience to build upon our current momentum and accelerate the resurgence of the Denny’s business and brand,” said Louis P. Neeb, head of the board’s CEO search committee. “We conducted an extensive international search including dozens of highly-qualified candidates and believe that John has the right combination of skills and experience to further our growth and create additional value.”

The Compensation and Incentives Committee of Denny's board of directors approved the following incentive awards to Miller as an inducement to his employment: 200,000 performance-based restricted stock units, and a non-qualified stock option to purchase up to 200,000 shares of common stock.

Denny's has placed some focus on the fast casual segment in recent years. The company opened its first Denny's Fresh Express location in 2009 and opened its first Denny's Cafe in Orange County, Calif., in November 2010.