Steven A. Davis, a veteran of the food-service industry who made a name for himself as a turnaround expert, was recently named chief executive officer of Bob Evans Farms Inc., a restaurant chain and sausage distribution company based in Columbus, Ohio. Bob Evans Farms, which is publicly traded, owns and operates nearly 700 restaurants, including Mimi’s Café — and reported net sales of $1.6 billion for its fiscal year ending April 28, 2006.
Prior to this appointment, Davis, 48, held a number of management and executive positions for Yum! Brands, starting with the Pizza Hut division in 1993. As president of Long John Silver’s and A&W All American Food Restaurants, he re-launched a new menu and positioning strategy that resulted in positive same-store sales. At Pizza Hut, Davis drove the highest ROI asset performance in the company and also improved sales from 1995 to 1999.
Prior to joining Yum!, Davis was with Kraft General Foods for nine years. He was featured in BLACK ENTERPRISE as one of the 75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America.
“We are delighted to welcome Steve Davis as Bob Evans’ new CEO,” says Robert E.H. Rabold, chairman of the board of Bob Evans Farms. “Throughout his career, he has engineered successful turnarounds in both the packaged goods and restaurant industries.”
Davis replaces Larry C. Corbin, who served as interim chief executive officer after Stewart Owens resigned last August.