Krispy Krunchy Chicken has appointed Jim Zielke as its new chief financial officer. Zielke will report to CEO Jim Norberg and will serve on the executive leadership team.
Zielke most recently served as the chief financial officer for the Peruvian-inspired restaurant brand Viva Chicken Holdings, where he oversaw finance, human resources, legal and IT departments for the company. He brings over 30 years of experience in the industry.
“Jim has a wealth of knowledge and experience from the chicken and restaurant sectors, along with the financial expertise that will continue the strong fiscal trajectory for our organization,” said Norberg. “He will be instrumental in enhancing restaurant profitability, increasing revenue and expanding our margins as we enter our next era of growth.”
Before Viva Chicken Holdings, Zielke served as the chief financial officer for Good Times Restaurants, Inc. He also held key leadership positions at F&H Acquisition Corp., the parent company of Fox & Hound, where he served as chief financial officer and then president. Additionally, he was the president of Champps Restaurant Brands, and early in his career, he was the head of tax for PepsiCo’s Pizza Hut division.
“I am honored to join Krispy Krunchy as we continue to achieve success as one of the strongest c-store foodservice brands,” said Zielke. “I look forward to exploring effective processes that we can leverage to further expand the brand and maintain its vitality for years to come.”
Krispy Krunchy Chicken, founded in Louisiana in 1989, is a quick-serve solution for convenience stores, truck stops, universities, casinos and big box retailers across the U.S. The store-in-store concept allows licensees to serve hand-breaded, mild Cajun-spiced fried chicken and all white meat tenders to its guests to increase their in-store profitability and drive frequency.
