Brinker International has announced that Steve Provost, president of its Italian casual dining brand, Maggiano’s Little Italy, will retire at the end of August.
Established in 1975, Brinker International is one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and owns Chili’s, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and virtual brand It’s Just Wings. The company owns, operates, and franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 30 countries and two US territories.
“Steve is a one-of-a-kind, humble and courageous leader with an incredible presence and knack for storytelling that will be missed,” said Kevin Hochman, president and CEO, Brinker International and president of Chili’s Grill & Bar.
“He is leaving the brand in a stronger position, having continued the legacy of making both guests and teammates feel special, and I am grateful for his leadership and the wonderful foundation he and the team built.”
Provost joined the company in 2009 as senior VP of marketing and brand strategy for Maggiano’s, and later that year, became brand president who led strategy and oversaw growth and development, operations, marketing, culinary, and PeopleWorks, a cloud-based human capital management solution.
During his eighth year as president, Provost helped drive Maggiano’s 21 consecutive quarters of same-restaurant sales growth.
In 2017, he was promoted to executive VP and chief marketing officer of Chili’s, where he launched the brand’s everyday value platform, brought back the Baby Back Ribs jingle, and invested in digital marketing.
Provost took the role of chief concept officer in 2018 and helped conceive and launch Brinker’s first virtual brand, It’s Just Wings.
He resumed his role as Maggiano’s president in 2020 and helped lead the brand out of Covid-19 with stronger sales and profits than pre-pandemic.
Prior to joining Brinker, Provost held various leadership roles in marketing, operations, franchise, and concept development in multiple brands, including PepsiCo, Yum! Brands, and Quizno’s.
“My first restaurant job was as a 16-year-old dishwasher in Montpelier, Vt.,” recalled Provost.
“Decades later, I have been fortunate to end my restaurant career with a company that embodies the Norman Brinker spirit of hospitality and servant leadership.”
The company will conduct an external search for a president working with the team to “protect what makes Maggiano’s special”, modernise the brand for today’s consumer needs, and accelerate its growth.
