Atlanta — GPS Hospitality, one the nation’s largest franchisees of BURGER KING® and Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen restaurants, has promoted Mike Kovac to senior vice president of operations. Previously, he was vice president of operations, where he achieved consecutive yearly sales increases.
“Mike has proven himself to be an integral part of GPS Hospitality’s growth strategy,” says Michael Lippert, chief operations officer for GPS Hospitality. “I have worked with Mike for many years, and I know him to be a highly motivated professional and an invaluable asset. He knows how to achieve bottom line results, and just as importantly, how to foster future leaders of our company.”
An executive at GPS Hospitality since 2014, Kovac has been instrumental in the company’s rapid growth including new unit openings, remodels and acquisitions. Kovac will continue to provide leadership for the operations teams in more than 200 BURGER KING and Popeyes restaurants in the East, including in Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“Mike is an energetic, hands-on leader who has an excellent rapport with our team members and plays a vital role in day-to-day operations,” says GPS Hospitality CEO Tom Garrett. “I firmly believe his deep knowledge of GPS Hospitality and the quick-service restaurant industry will help us achieve our future growth plans.”
A quick-service restaurant industry veteran with 34 years of experience, Kovac got his start as an assistant manager at Arby’s. He worked his way up through the ranks of RTM Restaurant Group, Arby’s largest franchisee, and went on to become vice president of operations of Wendy’s/Arby’s Restaurant Group. Kovac also achieved great successes with Mrs. Winner’s and Church’s Chicken.
Founded in 2012, GPS Hospitality is a BURGER KING® and Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen franchisee, operating more than 400 restaurants. For more information, visit www.gpshospitality.com.
SOURCE: GPS Hospitality