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Tom Carr named CEO of Guthrie's

Photo: Guthrie's

January 14, 2026

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Guthrie's, a chicken-finger-only concept with over 70 locations, has named Tom Carr as president and chief executive officer.

The appointment follows the brand's 60th anniversary and signals a shift toward aggressive national expansion, according to a statement from the company. Carr succeeds Joe Kelly Guthrie, a co-owner and member of the founding family, who will remain with the company as co-owner.

Carr joins the Auburn-based franchise from Chicken Salad Chick, where he served as chief marketing officer. During his decade-long tenure there, the brand grew from 50 locations to 325 stores across 23 states.

"Tom is a proven leader who understands how to scale iconic brands while holding on to their original values and identities," Joe Kelly Guthrie said in the statement. "I could not be more confident in Tom's ability to lead Guthrie's Franchising forward."

Carr's resume includes leadership roles at Spanx, Nike and Discovery Networks. Early in his career, he worked on accounts for Coca-Cola and contributed to the "Pizza! Pizza!" campaign for Little Caesars. He was recently recognized as a 2025 Top CMO by Fast Casual.

"Guthrie's established one of today's most popular segments of the restaurant industry, now a multi-billion-dollar category," Carr said in the statement. "I'm excited for the opportunity to lead the next phase of brand and franchise."

Founded in Haleyville, Alabama, in 1965, Guthrie's pivoted to a chicken-finger-only menu in 1982. The company operates more than 70 locations across 12 states. The statement said the company is poised for "aggressive expansion" throughout 2026.

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