The Krystal Company, known for its square hamburgers, announced the appointment of Carl Jakaitis as chief financial officer for the company. Jakaitis, who will oversee accounting, finance, information technology (IT), and supply chain management, will report to Omar Janjua, president and CEO for the Krystal Company. The appointment is effective immediately.

“Carl’s 35 years of restaurant industry experience will provide the Krystal Company with the additional leadership and expertise we need to continue to develop this iconic brand and help fuel our system growth,” Janjua says.

Jakaitis most recently served as CFO of McAlister’s Deli where he was responsible for finance, accounting, legal, and franchise administration for the 325-store chain.

Prior to McAlister’s, Jakaitis was CFO with Petrus Brands where he oversaw the finance, accounting, and administrative functions for the organization. He also worked closely with Planet Smoothie and Shane’s Rib Shack franchisees, spanning more than 170 restaurants and 15 states. Under his leadership, operating expenses were reduced by 10 percent and the Planet Smoothie chain was successfully sold in November of 2011.

Before joining Petrus, he ran his own consulting business specializing in part-time CFO assignments. From 1994 to 2004, Jakaitis served as CFO for Church’s Chicken, where he was responsible for the financials for 1,600 company and franchise restaurants. His restaurant experience also includes finance roles at Pizza Hut and Boston Market.