HoneyBaked Ham CEO joins Bloomin’ Brands board

Bloomin’ Brands, the Tampa company behind Outback Steakhouse and several other brands, has expanded its board of directors and named the CEO of another food company and the former president of Coca-Cola to take the new spot.

In an SEC filing Thursday morning, Bloomin’ reports it added a seat to its board, raising it from 10 to 11. Filling the position will be James Dinkins, CEO of The HoneyBaked Ham Co.

Bloomin’ did not say why it made the decision to add to its current board but says Dinkins, 62, was chosen after a national search. Dinkins will sit on the company’s audit committee.

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Dinkins started at HoneyBaked Ham in 2021 after 18 years at The Coca-Cola Co. He was hired to replace Linda van Rees, the granddaughter of The HoneyBaked Ham founder Harry Hoenselaar, who retired.

According to Dinkins' LinkedIn profile, his time at the soft drink giant included stints as group president for Coca-Cola North America, president of the Minutes Maid division and chief retail officer for the U.S.

He will stand for election at the annual shareholders meeting later this year.

In addition to Outback, Bloomin’ operates Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar chains. In all, it has 1,450 restaurants in 46 states, Guam and 13 countries. It posted $4.54 billion in revenue in the past 12 months.