GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. announced that G.J. Hart is taking over as the new president and chief executive officer for the company, effective Sept. 6.

G.J. Hart will succeed Paul Murphy, current president and CEO, who announced his retirement at the end of 2022. Murphy will remain with the company as an advisor until March 31, 2023.

Hart has served as a board member since 2019 and will continue in his role on the board in addition to his new responsibilities as president and CEO.

“While I have long admired Red Robin as an organization and brand, since joining the Board, I have gained a heightened appreciation for the culture, values and brand equities that have made Red Robin so iconic for more than 50 years while recognizing its go-forward potential,” Hart said. “I am eager to begin working with the team in this new capacity to strengthen the company’s foundation, execute on our strategic priorities and continue our collective efforts to create value for shareholders.”

Hart has over 35 years of food industry experience, his latest being Torchy’s Tacos CEO from 2018 to 2021. He previously served as president of Texas Roadhouse Holdings, CEO and member of the Texas Roadhouse board, and executive chairman and CEO of California Pizza Kitchen.

“G.J. brings an exceptional track record of success to this role, and we are excited to have him as our next leader for Red Robin,” said Dave Pace, Red Robin board chair. “During the past three years, G.J. has distinguished himself as a thoughtful and effective board member in supporting Paul and the Red Robin team as they navigated an exceptionally tumultuous period in our industry’s history.

“As we began our search for Paul’s successor following his announced retirement at the end of this year, G.J. expressed interest in the role, and we quickly determined that he possesses all of the critical skills that we are looking for in Red Robin’s next leader. We are highly confident that he has the vision, passion and expertise to successfully lead Red Robin into the future. Once again, I want to thank Paul Murphy for his leadership over the past three years and appreciate his support in facilitating G.J.’s transition.”