Tag: Texas Roadhouse

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Yum names Gibbs CFO; Papa hit with $11M verdict, and Brown-Forman returns to Scotch

Latest news, with a special focus on big Louisville employers; updated at 3:19 p.m.

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Gibbs

YUM just announced the promotion of David Gibbs, 53, to president and CFO, effective May 2. Gibbs, who’s been with the company 27 years, previously served as CEO of the Pizza Hut Division. He replaces interim CFO Dave Russell, who’ll return to Yum’s vice president, finance and corporate controller. (Press release.) A leadership shakeup at Yum has been in the cards for some time now (Business First). He arrives at a crucial time for the company (Nation’s Restaurant News). Former CFO Pat Grismer announced his resignation in December (Insider Louisville). Yum’s stock traded recently for $81.44, down less than 1%.

PAPA JOHN’S: In Georgia, a DeKalb County jury awarded $11 million to a woman claiming permanent brain damage from a crash with a pizza delivery vehicle on a rain-slicked road. The company’s lead attorney said the verdict would likely be appealed (Daily Report).

BROWN-FORMAN is getting back into the Scotch business after an 11-year absence with the $415.42 million purchase of the BenRiach Distillery in the north Scotland city of Newbridge. BenRiach’s brands include the Heart of Speyside. Today’s deal follows Brown-Forman’s sale of the Southern Comfort and Tuaca brands to Sazerac for $543.5 million three months ago (Reuters). Brown-Forman’s press release about the deal. Also, the company has named Eric Helms as new marketing director for its Global Travel Retail division (Travel Retail Business).

FORD: A threat to the Kentucky Truck Plant? Ford says it needs additional capacity for production of its next-generation Super Duty pickup (Courier-Journal).

TEXAS ROADHOUSE opened its newest location Monday, in Blackman Township, Mich (M Live).

In other news, Woodford Reserve followed an annual Kentucky Derby tradition and unveiled this year’s $1,000 Mint Julep yesterday (WLKY). The Al J. Schneider family drama over downtown’s Galt House grinds on in court (Insider Louisville). And on Wall Street, stocks were poised to tumble after Apple whiffed on earnings yesterday (MarketWatch).

Latest Headlines

Just think about all the tips we’ll save on pizza deliveries

The latest news about big Louisville employers; updated frequently.

PAPA JOHN’s and PIZZA HUT: As consumers get more comfortable with autonomous delivery — robots to you and me — a restaurant industry that already uses cutting edge logistics services could start adding delivery robots in the coming decade. Indeed, Domino’s — arch rival to Papa John’s and Pizza Hut — is already giving a trial run to its “DRU” robot in Australia; watch Domino’s Robotic Unit video. DRU follows Domino’s introduction last October of a delivery van equipped with a special warming oven that’s easily accessed from outside.

TEXAS ROADHOUSE is adding bee hives at its corporate offices on Dutchmans Lane, a symbolic step drawing attention to the nation’s beleaguered bee colonies. (C-J).

In other news, University of Louisville said today it’s raised another $12 million for the planned $50 million Papa John’s Stadium expansion. (Card Game)

Latest Headlines

A surprise at Appliance Park, and cutting risk at Texas Roadhouse

News about Louisville’s major employers; updated frequently.

GE: Qingdao Haier Co., is — get this — adding jobs at Appliance Park, which the China-based company agreed to buy from GE in a $5.4 billion deal in January. New owners often do the opposite: cutting upper management jobs. But Qingdao says it needs the 85 new jobs to create a standalone company. (Courier-Journal).

TEXAS ROADHOUSE operators have a direct line to the 483-location Louisville-based restaurant chain’s risk management chief. Patrick Sterling’s so serious about his job, he keeps photos of his risk management team alongside those of his three daughters. (Business Insurance.)

Caldwell's Quirky CookeryIn other news, the Russell neighborhood hopes to grow 100 new businesses with a kitchen incubator backed by the Community Foundation of Louisville, the James Graham Brown Foundation and other philanthropic groups. Already, Chef Space is home to 20 small businesses, from Caldwell’s Quirky Cookery to Younique Soul (Broken Sidewalk).