ATLANTA, Nov. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Church’s Texas Chicken®, one of the largest quick-service chicken restaurant chains in the world, today announced the appointment of Bobby Morena as Chief Development Officer, effective November 3, 2025. In this role, Morena will lead all aspects of Church’s domestic development strategy, including franchise sales, real estate, design, and construction, with a focus on accelerating the expansion of the brand across the United States. Morena will report to Roland Gonzalez, CEO and President of Church’s Texas Chicken.

Morena has more than 25 years of experience in franchise development in the restaurant space, with an impressive track record of delivering consistent results. Throughout his career, he has helped to drastically scale brands and maximize performance. At Jimmy John’s, he played a key role in expanding the brand from less than 100 locations to thousands nationwide, setting new benchmarks for franchise performance and growth. Most recently in his role as CDO at GoTo Foods, he led initiatives that helped to improve performance, improve franchise relationships, and deliver solid ROI.

“Bobby has an impressive track record in franchise development and is the ideal leader who will accelerate the next chapter of our growth,” said Roland Gonzalez, CEO & President of Church’s Texas Chicken. “He understands how to scale brands with discipline and ambition, and he shares our commitment to franchise success and operational excellence.”

Morena’s addition to the executive team reinforces Church’s Texas Chicken’s commitment to domestic growth, operational enhancement, and franchise relationships. Morena will play a key role in advancing the brand’s goal of reaching $2 billion in system sales, which will be heavily dependent on organic growth with current franchisees and driving new development – including strategic re-franchising of corporate locations, and by introducing new franchisees to the brand. The company also plans to deepen its presence in existing markets while entering new communities, bringing its legendary chicken to even more guests nationwide.

“Great brands are built by great people,” said Bobby Morena, CDO of Church’s Texas Chicken. “I’m honored to join such an iconic brand and I’m looking forward to working with this impressive team to help bring Church’s to more guests across the country.”

Morena holds a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University and serves on the Georgia Restaurant Association Board of Directors.

For more information, visit www.churchs.com and texaschicken.com. You can also follow Church’s Texas Chicken® on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. For more details on open positions, please visit Church's Texas Chicken® Careers, Jobs & Applications and franchising opportunities are available at https://franchise.churchstexaschicken.com or https://franchise.texaschicken.com.

About Church’s Texas Chicken® / Texas Chicken™
Founded in San Antonio, TX in 1952 by George W. Church Sr., Church’s Texas Chicken®, along with its sister brand Texas Chicken™ outside of the U.S., is one of the largest quick-service chicken restaurant chains in the world. The brands specialize in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, tenders, sandwiches, freshly baked Honey-Butter Biscuits™, and classic, home-style sides all for a great value. Church’s Texas Chicken® and Texas Chicken™ have more than 1,400 locations in 22 countries and global markets and system-wide sales of more than $1.5 billion. Owned by High Bluff Capital Partners and FS Investments since 2021, Church’s® celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022.

Contacts
Church’s Texas Chicken
Jarred Hopkins
jhopkins@churchs.com

K Squared Group
Kelly Kaufman
kelly@ksquaredgroup.com