ATLANTA – Jim Hyatt was appointed chief executive officer of Church's Chicken, the global quick service restaurant chain. Hyatt has more than 35 years of experience in restaurant operations, most recently serving as president and CEO of Cosi Inc., a fast-casual dining company, where he has worked since 2007. Hyatt succeeds Mel Deane, who served as CEO since December 2009.

Hyatt also spent 16 years as an executive and franchise owner at Burger King Holdings. He recently served as executive vice president and global chief operations officer where he was instrumental in an organization-wide turnaround in sales and profitability.


"We are pleased to bring the talent and track record of Jim Hyatt to Church's Chicken," said Tully Friedman, Church's chairman of the board of directors. "Jim's unique blend of executive, field, and franchisee experience and exceptional history of driving operational and performance enhancements in restaurant concepts will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow the business and consistently deliver the best possible dining experience to our customers."