Corner Office Conversations w/ Kevin Stockslager: Ronald Gonzalez, CEO of Church’s Chicken

Executive Chat with Roland Gonzalez

I appreciate your time again today. Looking back to the start of your career, what inspired you to get into the restaurant industry, and what continues to motivate you today?
Yeah, that’s a great question. I was a student-athlete throughout my career—I played Division I in baseball and then professionally for a bit. When that chapter closed, I went back and got my MBA. At the time, 3G Capital had just acquired Burger King and was launching its first MBA leadership program to help turn around the business. I’ve always been interested in business—specifically international business—and I wanted to apply that knowledge somewhere dynamic.

The food and beverage industry turned out to be a natural fit. It's ultra-competitive, much like sports. Every day, you have to bring your best. You’ve got to strategize, pivot, compete, and build the best team around you. That competitive environment really resonated with me, and I fell in love with the industry. That was nearly 15 years ago, and I’ve been in it ever since.

You’ve been with the brand for a couple of years now, but you’re just a few months into your role as CEO. What have been some of your early impressions and observations in this new position?
First and foremost, the support from our leadership team and board has been phenomenal. When you step into a CEO role and the key stakeholders genuinely believe in you, that’s incredibly motivating.

Going back to sports again—someone like Tom Brady wasn’t just driven by his own success. A lot of his motivation came from not wanting to let down the people who believed in him. I feel the same way.

To have the opportunity to lead a 73-year-old brand with such a rich history—and to help take it to the next level—is exciting. We’ve done great things over the years, and now it’s about unlocking that next phase of growth, both domestically and internationally.

You touched on it a bit already, but what originally drew you to the Church’s Texas Chicken brand when you joined as COO?
The first thing I look at in any opportunity is the food—you’ve got to love the product. I grew up with the Church’s Texas Chicken brand. In college, there was one right across the street, and I wore it out. Later, I lived in Puerto Rico—which is one of our strongest markets, with about 120 locations—and I visited those restaurants all the time.
So the product was a huge draw. But what really pulled me in was the brand’s untapped potential. When I joined, the brand had been somewhat neglected. Franchisees weren’t getting the support they needed, and key investments weren’t being made. But our new ownership group came in with a long-term vision.

Despite inconsistent service, limited digital infrastructure, and older restaurants, the product was so good that people still came. That told me everything I needed to know. If fans are showing up even when the experience is inconsistent, imagine what could happen if we just met their basic expectations.
Since joining, we’ve rebuilt digital from the ground up—digital sales went from nearly nonexistent to over 15% in just a couple of years. That kind of transformation usually takes brands much longer. So when I looked at the core product and the clear opportunities for value creation, it felt like the right place to be.

We’ve talked about the pipeline for international growth and the renewed focus on domestic expansion. What are some of the other major priorities and opportunities for the brand in 2025 and beyond?
As you mentioned, we’ve got a strong international pipeline—over 900 units planned in some really important global markets. But we’re also in a great place domestically. Over the past couple of years, our U.S. franchisees have seen profitability increase by more than 35%, so we’ve earned the right to grow here as well.
We’re now attracting well-capitalized franchisees and focusing on white space markets. With around 800 restaurants in the U.S., there’s no reason we couldn’t double that.

Remodels are another big focus. We’ve been remodeling 100 restaurants a year, and this year we’re on track to do about 120. By year-end, we’ll be ahead of our competitive set in terms of percentage of remodeled restaurants. The returns have been outstanding—more than double what some other brands would be happy with.

Technology is also a major investment area. Our digital loyalty program and digital channels have grown significantly, and we’re continuing to invest in smart kitchens and forecasting tools to improve kitchen operations. Making sure our chicken is ready when guests want it—without putting unnecessary strain on the back-of-house team—is a big part of our operational strategy moving forward.

During your tenure, what’s the best operational shift you’ve made in recent years to continually drive improvement?

The number one thing is becoming hyper-focused on measurement. In the restaurant industry, managers are pulled in a thousand directions every day. While most areas of focus—cleanliness, food quality, etc.—can improve the guest experience, you can’t go after everything equally. We had to identify the top three things that mattered most to our guests and double down on those, while still meeting expectations in other areas.

We did that through strong measurement. One of the first things we implemented was an operational performance index scorecard. It’s clear, focused, and aligned to what matters. What’s exciting is that it’s shown a 97% correlation to our sales growth. So we can be confident that improving these key operational indicators—like training, restaurant assessments, feedback, and compliance modules—will result in better traffic and higher sales.

You also mentioned the brand’s investment in technology. What innovations do you see as most impactful to the restaurant industry in the next few years?
AI in the drive-thru is a big one, but it's not quite there yet. Several companies have tried and failed. The key is getting it to a level where team members don’t need to step in—because even 5% failure in the drive-thru could mean losing 5% of your customers. So accuracy is everything. But it’s moving in the right direction.

Another area is AI voice technology—even if you have a human on the headset, AI can now track whether employees are upselling, saying “please” and “thank you,” and following brand standards. That gives us coaching insights at scale.

Also, back-of-house cameras using AI to detect theft or trigger alerts are becoming more common. And then there's automation—robots frying, assembling, or preparing certain items. That’s already happening in the pizza space and will only grow, especially as labor costs rise.

You’ve built and have been part of some great leadership teams. What traits do you look for when putting together a leadership team?
The number one thing is problem solvers—people who love identifying and tackling tough challenges. As your organization matures, the problems become more nuanced, and you need people who aren’t satisfied with the status quo, even when things are going well.

I also look for people who have natural chemistry with the team and adopt a servant leadership mindset. Everyone owns their function, but they’re also willing to share best practices and support the greater business. That’s what we’ve built at Church’s Texas Chicken—leaders who challenge each other and share a collective ambition for excellence.

How do you approach recruiting and retaining great talent?
It comes back to measurement again. People need to know where they stand and what they need to do to improve. We’ve shifted our bonus structure from being solely based on company profitability to a more balanced model that rewards individual performance and goal achievement. That’s created a more meritocratic culture—if you deliver, you get more opportunities.

We’ve brought that to the restaurant level too, with gamification—rewards for the top upsellers, fastest service times, and other high performers. That recognition makes a big impact. We’ve sent people on cruises, hosted special events—you name it. If you drive results, we celebrate that.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received during your career?
It came from my father, who was an entrepreneur. He always told me to stay balanced. That means being balanced in your thinking, your skill set, your leadership style—not going too far in one direction. Fairness and balance have served me well.

If you could go back to your younger self—just starting out at RBI in the MBA leadership program—what advice would you give as a restaurant executive?
To look ahead. Early in your career, it’s easy to focus only on what’s in front of you. But if you want to grow, you have to look around corners and think long-term.

And take risks early. One of the biggest accelerators in my career was when they said, “We have an opportunity, but you need to move to Puerto Rico next week.” I took that leap, and it made a huge difference. So, be bold early in your career.

A couple of fun ones to wrap it up. College baseball regionals are this weekend. You were an excellent player at the University of Texas (UT) Rio Grande Valley and played professionally. What are your favorite memories?
My senior year, I led the country in stolen bases. I clinched the title during our last game, in front of a packed crowd and my parents. That was a special moment. But honestly, the best memories are off the field—on the bus, with the team, all the fun and camaraderie.

What do you enjoy doing in Miami when you have downtime?
I’ve got two boys, ages five and three, so they keep me busy! When I’m not working, I’m spending time with them. That usually means the pool or the beach—especially in the summer.

And finally, what’s your go-to meal on the Church’s Texas Chicken menu?
I’m a white meat guy—so I go for a three-piece meal: two breasts and a wing. And I’ve got to have the jalapeño bombers on the side. That’s my go-to.

Anything else you’d like to highlight about the brand?
Church’s Texas Chicken is a brand that’s already in the middle of a turnaround, but I believe we’re on the cusp of something big. I’m really excited to share more about our growth journey—both domestically and internationally. We’re going to be a major player in the years ahead.

About Roland Gonzalez

Roland Gonzalez is at the helm of Church’s Texas Chicken® and Texas Chicken™ across both domestic and international markets, overseeing more than 1,400 restaurant locations in 22 countries. As CEO, he is at the forefront of driving the company’s next phase of global expansion and evolution, and strategic initiatives that will accelerate the brand’s growth and momentum.

Roland brings a wealth of expertise in franchising, operations, P&L management, global business strategies, team leadership and process improvement to the company. A dynamic and results-oriented leader, he excels at building and motivating cross-functional teams and driving key business metrics that enhance the company’s growth and success.

Before his role as CEO at Church’s®, he served as the Chief Operations Officer, where he led operational excellence through global business strategies and process improvement, strengthening franchisee partnerships, enhancing guest experiences, and expanding brand reach in highly competitive categories and geographic markets. Prior to Church’s®, he held numerous executive positions and key business operations roles, including Executive Vice President for Operations at Virtual Dining Concepts and Head of Global Operations Standards and Strategy at Restaurant Brands International, supporting its 20,000+ restaurants, including Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes.

Roland holds an MBA and a Bachelor’s in International Business Administration from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He serves as Treasurer on the Board of Trustees for his alma mater and has been recognized with several honors, including 2024 Tampa Titan 100, South Florida Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award and the Executive Award from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he is an active board member and supporter of the non-profit organization Share Your Heart, a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and an executive member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA).

Interested in an executive chat? Reach out to Kevin Stockslager at kevin.stockslager@wraysearch.com.