Newk’s Eatery is bolstering its executive team with three key changes. The popular fast-casual restaurant brand announced that it has named Charlie Hensley as its new Vice President of Real Estate and Construction, while Denise Pedini has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer and Adam Karveller was elevated to Chief Technology Officer.
“We are thrilled to welcome Charlie to the Newk’s team to guide our real estate and construction initiatives,” says CEO Frank Paci. “I am also pleased to announce promotions for both Denise and Adam. They have served our brand exceedingly well , and I’m looking forward to their continued contributions in the years ahead.”
Mr. Hensley comes to Newk’s armed with more than two decades of experience in the restaurant industry. He was previously a McAlister’s Deli franchisee where he received the President’s Award for outstanding leadership. He also has experience in the Papa John’s Pizza and Penn Station East Coast Subs systems.
After joining Newk’s in December 2020, Mrs. Pedini successfully guided the brand’s marketing initiatives through the worst of the pandemic. She assembled a marketing team that spearheaded the launch of the brand’s first loyalty program – Newk’s Rewards – in 2022 and worked closely with operations to optimize the menu by making it more cost efficient and profitable. In her new role as CMO, Pedini has even bigger goals for Newk’s as she oversees all consumer touchpoints for corporate and franchise restaurants across 15 states.
Mr. Karveller’s promotion to CTO is the culmination of his 15 years within the Newk’s family. He is responsible for rolling out more than 40 important projects as the leader of the IT team. Adam will continue to play an important role for the brand by researching, selecting and implementing organizational technologies, including crew- and guest-facing systems for all restaurants, as well as Newk’s support centers.