Jeff Uttz, the former Yard House and Shake Shack executive, was named chief financial officer of Kura Sushi USA on Monday.
Uttz took the position effective on Monday. The 53-year-old will oversee finance for the 40-unit chain of revolving sushi restaurants.
Uttz was most recently the CFO with Shake Shack, which he helped to take public in 2015. Before that he was the CFO with the casual dining chain Yard House, where he worked for 12 years.
Uttz “is an accomplished restaurant finance executive and a highly respected individual within the investment community,” Hajime Uba, CEO of Kura Sushi, said in a statement. He noted Uttz’s “demonstrated financial leadership and strategic planning skills designed to build strong restaurant brands.”
Uttz will take over financial leadership for a fast-growing chain that uses conveyor belts to deliver sushi to its customers. System sales rose 44% last year to $65 million in the U.S. The company’s stock is down 3% this year, which makes it among the better performers among restaurants on Wall Street.
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