Applebee’s Taps Chief Culinary Officer

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar has added Chef Scott Rodriguez to its leadership team as senior vice president and chief culinary officer.

A classically trained chef, Rodriguez brings over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry to the Dine Brands concept. He has held positions focused on casual dining innovation with brands like Papa John’s and BJ’s Restaurants, where he helped develop new offerings through a focus on research and development, product innovation and menu strategy.

“I have a life-long admiration for Applebee’s and am thrilled to be part of this incredible leadership team,” says Rodriguez in a press release. “A successful culinary strategy begins with our guests and restaurant-level excellence. I’m spending my first few months in-restaurant learning from our teams and franchise partners and listening to our guests in terms of what they love and expect from Applebee’s.”

Rodriguez also will be a member of the operations and marketing committees to help drive alignment on future innovation, says Applebee’s.

Applebee’s has 1,673 restaurants in the U.S., two U.S. territories and 11 other countries.