Leadership
Michael Abt
Chief Executive Officer
Michael is an industry veteran with extensive experience growing brands. He was a senior vice president with Arby’s, responsible for more than 1000 restaurants, before joining Huddle House as CEO in 2012. As a long-time restaurant operator, he understands what’s required to operate a successful restaurant and works closely with franchise partners to continually evolve the brand and maintain a competitive position. He and his team are focused on executing the brand vision: “To be small town America’s family dining choice”. His organization is centered on providing outstanding franchise partner support in order to consistently deliver a memorable experience for Huddle House guests and boost profitability
Troy Tracy
Chief Operating Officer
Troy joined Huddle House in 2013 with over 15 years of multi-unit leadership in corporate operations in brands including Captain D’s and Pizza Hut, franchise support and as a franchise partner for both McAlister’s Deli and Arby’s Restaurant Group. Tracy oversees systemwide corporate and franchise field operations.
Alison Glenn Delaney
Chief Marketing Officer
Alison has over 30 years’ experience in building restaurant brands with companies including TGI Friday’s, Ruby Tuesday, and Church’s Chicken. She is responsible for introducing new people to Huddle House and reinforcing through menu and messaging that Huddle House is the neighborhood gathering place that brings friends and families together, over delicious food, served from the heart.
David Krisher
Chief Financial Officer
David, who has been in the restaurant industry since 2006, oversees all aspects of Accounting and Finance. He has been with Huddle House for over a decade and has experience supporting franchise operations with a diverse set of brands including, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Checkers/Rally’s, Domino’s Pizza and Subway.
Melissa Rothring
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Melissa joined the Huddle House team in 2013 and serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel to Huddle House, Inc. She has over 27 years of experience in franchising business analysis and management, focusing on financial and legal management initiatives with a concentration on effective branding and operational strategies. Rothring previously held executive leadership positions for holding companies such as GFG Management LLC and Kahala Corp., multi-brand retail and QSR management platforms of licensors and franchisors.
Nathan Ballard
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Nathan oversees all food, supply and smallware distribution from the HHI Customer Support Center. He is a 20-year veteran of the distribution industry who joined Huddle House in 2004. Previously, Ballard served in Transportation Management roles at industry leaders A&P Supermarkets and GAF Materials Corp.
Tim Linderman
Chief Development Officer
Tim, who joined Huddle House in 2019, began his career in franchise development more than 15 years ago and has played an integral role in growing multiple national brands including Arby’s Restaurant Group and GFG Management LLC (Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, Pretzelmaker, Hot Dog On A Stick, and Round Table Pizza). Tim has a strong record of store growth for franchise concepts developed through uniting and motivating teams, driving franchisee satisfaction, and focusing on strategic development opportunities that build the brand for long-term, sustainable growth.
Robert Hess
Chief Information Officer
Robert is the Chief Information Officer for both Huddle House and Perkins Restaurants brands. Most recently, Robert served as the Executive Consultant to Huddle House & Perkins and prior to that served as Chief Information Officer for the Perkins brand since 2015. Robert brings a 35-year track record of success with deep understanding of the role of information technology within the hospitality industry. Prior to Perkins, Robert worked for O’Charley’s Inc, for 8 years and prior to that, Brinker International for 15 years.
Marilyn Leister
Vice President, Human Resources
Marilyn, who has been in the restaurant industry since 2005, joined Huddle House in 2018. She has maintained her HR certifications since 2009, while gaining recognition for developing and implementing strategies and programs to support the strategic and tactical business objectives of the organization. Previously, Marilyn transformed and elevated the HR function across employee communications, policy development, training, on-boarding, and benefits administration for the largest singly-owned Domino’s franchise Team Cowabunga consisting of more than 2500 employees.