Hot Head Burritos has promoted longtime company leader Peter Wiley to corporate vice president, chief marketing and chief technology officer, expanding his leadership role as the Dayton-born fast-casual brand continues to grow its footprint.
Wiley has been with Hot Head Burritos since 2007 and most recently served as director of marketing and IT. In his new role, he will take on broader companywide strategic responsibilities while continuing to lead the brand’s marketing strategy and oversee technology initiatives across nearly 90 restaurants. His experience spanning marketing, restaurant operations and technology brings an operator-informed perspective to the brand’s continued growth and franchisee support.
“Peter has been part of Hot Head since the beginning, and he understands this brand from every angle, as a marketer, operator and franchisee,” said Kelly Gray, president and co-owner of Hot Head Burritos. “He has a strong instinct for finding creative ways to keep the brand relevant while staying true to who we are. This is a natural next step for Peter and for Hot Head as we continue to grow.”
Wiley has more than 20 years of experience developing brands and marketing across live events, television, radio, print, digital, mobile apps and social media. His restaurant roots go back even further. He began working in his family’s Skyline Chili restaurants at age 12 and went on to work nearly every part of restaurant operations, from washing dishes and cooking on the line to bartending and managing.
That operator perspective has continued to shape his approach at Hot Head. In addition to his corporate leadership role, Wiley is also a Hot Head franchisee, owning and operating 10 restaurants across the Toledo, Youngstown, Akron and Cleveland markets. This gives him firsthand experience with the opportunities and challenges facing operators across the system.
His promotion follows a stretch of marketing and menu initiatives for the brand, including limited-time campaigns such as Queso Gone Wild and BBQ Pork Carnitas. More recently, Hot Head joined a viral Ohio conversation surrounding Beaver’s Mini Mart by turning a social media moment into local action, donating 100% of one day’s sales from its Beavercreek restaurant to support the neighboring small business.
Wiley also serves on Qu’s Advisory Board, where he brings his experience as both a restaurant operator and technology leader to discussions around how technology can improve efficiency, the guest experience and scalable growth.
“Restaurants have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and Hot Head has been a huge part of that journey,” Wiley said. “I’ve had the opportunity to see this brand grow from its early days and work alongside people who care deeply about making it better. I’m looking forward to building on that foundation, finding new ways to connect with guests and supporting our franchisees as we take Hot Head into its next chapter.”
