Ascent Hospitality Management Appoints New President of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery and New Chief Technology Officer

Ascent Hospitality Management, franchisor to family dining brands Huddle House and Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, announced today that it has named Toni Ronayne as President of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, and Steven Roach as Ascent Chief Technology Officer.

These appointments underscore the company's commitment to achieving its strategic goals and building a world class leadership team."As we continue implementing our strategic plan which calls for building category-leading brands that deliver unbeatable guest experiences, we have appointed new brand presidents to lead Perkins and Huddle House. We are also committed to becoming the Family Dining digital leader and have appointed an accomplished industry veteran to drive our technology initiatives," said James O'Reilly, chief executive officer of Ascent Hospitality Management. "We are excited to welcome these new leaders to the Ascent senior management team."

As the President of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Ronayne will be responsible for accelerating the brand's growth across franchised and company-owned locations. With the support of the executive leadership team, she will also oversee long-term strategy for Perkins' continued expansion and maintaining the brand's position as a leader in the full-service family dining segment. Prior to joining Ascent, Ronayne served as the Managing Director of Canada for Little Caesars Pizza, where she led the growth and performance of the chain's Canadian division of restaurants. Ronayne also previously served as Vice President of Global Franchise Development for Freshii, Inc. and Regional Director of Canada and Northeast U.S. for Starbucks' Teavana division.

"I couldn't be more excited to be joining an iconic brand with the rich history Perkins has. There is an incredible opportunity for innovation and growth, and I am eager to lead the brand towards new horizons by leveraging our tradition of quality and service to meet the evolving needs of our valued guests," said Ronayne. "Alongside the talented leadership team assembled at Ascent, I look forward to building a future where Perkins remains a leading family dining brand."

Roach comes to Ascent from Focus Brands, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, responsible for developing and executing the technology roadmap for the multi-brand international food and beverage company. As the Chief Technology Officer for Ascent, Roach will be responsible for developing and leading initiatives on the Ascent and brand-specific technology roadmaps. His leadership will underpin Ascent's progress toward Family Dining digital leadership and also toward becoming a world class shared services provider for its franchise systems and company operations.

"I'm excited to join Ascent at such an opportune time for Perkins and Huddle House. Both brands are poised to scale, so it's an honor to have the opportunity to lead the development of a technological strategy that supports expansion," said Roach. "Through innovative technology solutions that are aligned with our company's mission, we will look to enhance operational efficiency for our franchisees and strengthen the overall dining experience for our customers."