Alisa Gmelich Appointed President of Hardee's by CKE
CKE Restaurants has named Alisa Gmelich as president of its Hardee's brand, effective immediately. She succeeds Christopher Bode and will oversee more than 1,400 locations across 31 states, reporting directly to CEO Joe Guith.
Alisa Gmelich has been appointed president of Hardee's by CKE Restaurants Holdings, succeeding Christopher Bode. The company announced the immediate appointment on October 8, 2026, with Gmelich reporting to CEO Joe Guith and overseeing more than 1,400 restaurants across 31 states.
Background and experience
Gmelich brings over 30 years of brand and franchising experience to the role. Her career includes extensive leadership in the quick-service and fast-casual sectors. She worked at Burger King for over seven years in various marketing leadership positions and held senior marketing roles at IHOP for more than eight years.
She also served as brand president and chief brand officer at Auntie Anne's for over two years. There, she helped drive omnichannel sales and traffic growth, pivoting the brand from mall-centric locations and expanding through co-branded drive-thru locations with Jamba. Gmelich previously served as chief marketing officer of Sprouts Farmers Market and has also held roles at McDonald's.
Strategic focus and CKE’s Burger Revolution
In her new position, Gmelich will focus on accelerating growth, improving the guest experience, and strengthening franchisee partnerships. A central part of her mandate is advancing CKE’s 'Burger Revolution' platform. This cooked-to-order initiative, originally launched at Carl’s Jr., involved improving burger builds and ingredients and launching the premium Angus Maximus burger.
Her appointment ensures Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s each have distinct leadership. This is part of CEO Joe Guith’s structure to give both brands a strong foundation for growth.
Context: Leadership structure and franchisee challenges
The leadership change occurs amid financial strain within CKE's franchise network. The system has seen mild contraction this year as a handful of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s franchisees have filed for bankruptcy protection. In July, Superior Star, a 60-unit Hardee’s franchisee, filed for bankruptcy, citing unexpected expenses, tax levies, rental obligations, and sales problems at older restaurants.
Since joining CKE in 2025, Guith has restructured the leadership team. He has hired Nick Melka as vice president of strategy, Mauricio Sirgo as chief supply chain officer, and Cheryl Bowie as interim chief human resources officer.
Joe Guith stated, "This leadership structure brings together the experience and capabilities needed to strengthen our brands, support our franchisees, and deliver memorable guest experiences." He added that the focus is on building stronger brands and a thriving culture.
Gmelich emphasized franchisee relationships as her immediate priority. She will focus on accelerating growth, improving the guest experience, and strengthening franchisee partnerships effective immediately.
