Johnny Rockets, home of the Original Hamburger, today announced the appointment of Carl Arena as senior vice president of development, continuing its aggressive growth plan. Arena, who had previously served as executive director of development of Johnny Rockets in 2004, will work closely with new CEO John Fuller and the heads of international and domestic franchising, to develop strategic growth plans for the global restaurant chain.
Arena will oversee the development team and spearhead all real estate projects, from scouting new locations to managing the launch of store openings. Johnny Rockets is expected to launch an additional 30 to 40 franchise locations this year, including three new concepts: sports lounges, mobile kitchens and its new FAST! model.
Arena previously served as director of real estate development for Catalina Restaurant Group in Carlsbad, Calif. where he was responsible for new store development and asset management for the Coco’s and Carrows restaurant chains. He also served in senior development positions with Rubio’s Restaurants, Inc. where he was vice president of development and at CKE Restaurants, Inc. serving as vice president of real estate for CKE’s Carl’s Jr. chain.