Tampa restaurant company PDQ gets new CEO

PDQ restaurants promoted Kep Sweeney to CEO, the company says.

The Tampa-based restaurant company has 62 locations in five states.

Sweeney replaces Nick Reader, who is transitioning into a founder role with cofounder and owner Bob Basham. The two founders created PDQ in 2011. They are also partners in Rocca, an Italian restaurant in Tampa that was recently awarded a prestigious Michelin star, as well as on Bare Naked Kitchen, Glory Days Grill and Streetlight Taco, the latter of which will open soon in Tampa, the company says.

Sweeney started with PDQ in 2020 and served as president for three years. Previously, he was a consultant for CR3 Partners, focused on process improvement in the restaurant industry.

Sweeney is a former Wall Street restaurant-industry analyst and the author of "The New Restaurant Entrepreneur." Sweeney has given commentary on CNN, CNBC and some publications.

Reader says Sweeney helped the company manage through the recent avian-flu epidemic, which killed a large portion of chickens raised for food.

"Kep's love of our people and food is what makes me so excited," says Reader. "We've grown, we've fought a pandemic, we maneuvered through poultry inflation, and we've built a great company with a tremendous future."

In addition to 30 years in business, Sweeney cooks. He received an award from Julia Child to go to Le Cordon Bleu London and held roles as chef de cuisine for Bob Kinkead at 21 Federal and as executive chef at 21 Federal Nantucket.

Sweeney earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School in 1996. He studied political science at George Mason University.

PDQ stands for "people dedicated to quality" and offers chef-driven recipes and ingredients typically found in a fine casual restaurant dining, the company says. Basham, who cofounded Outback Steakhouse, and Reader are the two principal owners of PDQ.

After opening a store in Tampa in 2011, the chain grew to 62 locations in Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina.