Don M. McComas has been named president, chief executive officer and a director of Salt Lake City-based JB's Restaurants Inc.
He is scheduled to join the company Jan. 3.A JB's spokesman said McComas has 20 years of family restaurant experience with Carrows Restaurants Inc., where he started as a restaurant manager in 1973, progressed through the operations organization and served as president and chief executive officer for five years from 1988 to 1993.
During McComas' tenure as CEO, Carrows grew from 75 to more than 170 units, including the acquisition of 60 Bob's Big Boy restaurants from Marriott Corp. for conversion to Carrows.
McComas currently is the president and chief executive officer of El Torito Restaurants Inc., where he has led the development of a new casual Mexican restaurant concept.
JB's chairman Clark Jones said McComas was chosen "from a field of top-level candidates after an intense national search.
"We believe he will bring the leadership, focus and intensity necessary to make the JB's Restaurants successful and to continue to expand HomeTown Buffet."
McComas said JB's has "tremendous" opportunities for growth.
"While the JB's Restaurant concept, as it exists today, may need to be reformatted, the buildings, locations and markets are generally positive components to be utilized in securing the company's future. With both the JB's Restaurant and the fast-growing HomeTown Buffet concepts in our portfolio, JB's is positioned to benefit from America's ongoing return to basic family and economic values," McComas said.