Workforce

Newk's, Beans & Brews, The Dead Rabbit and more make moves to bolster leadership

Executive Summary: Here are the latest leadership changes within the restaurant industry.
Staff illustration.

The Irish chef Mark Moriarty has been named the official chef partner of The Dead Rabbit. The New York-based Irish pub concept opened in 2013, and now has sister locations The Irish Exit and The Dead Rabbit Austin. A celebrity chef in Ireland and author, Moriarty will shape the group’s food program, and will assist in recruiting a dedicated executive chef. Moriarty has been a longtime collaborator and curator of the Dead Rabbit’s Tradition Meet Tomorrow Chef Series.

Mark Moriarty

Mark Moriarty at The Dead Rabbit. | Photo courtesy of Nicolas Lee Ruiz.

Chris Cheek has returned to Newk’s Eatery as chief development officer. Cheek served in the role from 2014 to 2019, before moving to Modern Market. Now Cheek is back at Newk’s, which is part of the FSC Franchise Co. family backed by CapitalSpring.

Ryan Pearson has joined Lotte Hotel Seattle’s Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge as executive chef. Pearson has Michelin-starred experience, having worked in New York restaurants such as Batard, Daniel and NoMad. At Charlotte, he brings a contemporary take to Pacific Northwest cuisine.

Ryan Pearson

Ryan Pearson. | Photo courtesy of Lotte Hotel Seattle.

Becca McIntyre is the new vice president of supply chain and culinary for Beans & Brews Coffeehouse. A classically trained chef, McIntyre will help shape the evolution of the chain’s menu, as well as sourcing ingredients, optimizing vendor relationships and streamlining inventory.

In addition, Beans & Brews has hired Carrie Cohen as senior manager of digital marketing. And Rachel Day is the new senior manager of social media for the brand.

Outback Steakhouse parent Bloomin’ Brands has hired Rafael Sanchez as CIO. Sanchez joins the company from Atlanta-based Davidson Hospitality Group, where he was SVP of IT for two years. He has held a number of high-ranking IT roles over the years, including at Six Flags, Carnival Corp. and Burger King.

Jason Reader is the new chief operating officer for Davidson Hospitality Group in Atlanta. He is charged with oversight of the group's various verticals, including Davidson Hotels, Davidson Restaurant Group, Pivot and Davidson Resorts. Reader served most recently as COO of Remington Hospitality.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Inside the Starbucks turnaround

The coffee shop giant has spent the past 18 months returning to its roots as a coffee shop where customers want to stay. Now the company plans to go on offense.

Technology

Why a Dunkin' franchisee is using AI to count its doughnuts

Tennessee-based Bluemont Group was throwing away millions of dollars' worth of unsold doughnuts a year. Enter Do’Cast, an AI camera system that is helping it match supply with demand.

Financing

Chipotle and Taco Bell had very different years in 2025

The Bottom Line: The two Mexican chains have long been among the industry’s most consistent performers. But that changed last year, at least for one of them.

Trending

More from our partners