Killer Burger, the rock ‘n roll burger concept built in PDX, announced today that John Dikos is joining the company as its new president. His hire is part of a larger initiative as the brand unleashes a new strategic franchising growth initiative in markets across the country. Dikos has been heavily involved with leading the development side of several other brands.
“As we continue to grow Killer Burger throughout the Northwest and bring the brand to new markets, it is important for us to have the right person at the helm to lead this bold and exciting strategy. John exceeds all of the qualifications for us,” says TJ Southard, CEO and founder of Killer Burger. “He has a proven track record of successfully and exponentially growing brands and I’m excited to see what’s next for Killer Burger as he leads the brand into its next phase.”
As the new president of Killer Burger, Dikos will oversee the brand’s strategic growth and development primarily through franchising. He will serve and bolster the existing team and franchise partners and play a key role in the development and investment in infrastructure, systems and new leaders to ensure the growth is managed thoughtfully.
“I’ve had the opportunity to get to know the team and learn about the Killer Burger brand and business as a member of its board, and I’m confident this is a unique franchise opportunity ready for expansion,” says Dikos. “With our strong unit economics, intense focus on operations and execution, amazing resilience and positive comps during the pandemic, I know a lot of restaurant operators that will take a serious look at this concept. I’m thrilled to join the team and continue the momentum.”
Dikos brings a wealth of knowledge with more than 20 years of experience building restaurant brands. Most notably, Dikos built and led the franchise business unit of MOD Pizza from the ground-up, during the brand’s most pivotal growth phase when it was named the fastest growing restaurant brand in the country for four consecutive years. MOD grew from 9 stores to nearly 500 during his tenure. He most recently was Chief Licensing and Franchise Officer of Chicken Guy, a new franchise concept backed by Guy Fieri and Robert Earl.
Currently, with 13 locations in Oregon and Washington, plus five more stores slated to open this year, Killer Burger has its eyes set on expanding throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond over the next five years through strategic franchising efforts.
