How Red Robin is helping vault Donatos around the country

Donatos is expanding using any method it can.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tom Krouse, the chain’s CEO, in a conversation about its various growth strategies.

Donatos was one of the country’s fastest growing chains last year, with system sales up more than 14%. Krouse talks about the chain’s interesting history, including the impact of its years under McDonald’s ownership and the recession.
But he also talks about its unique cobranding arrangement with the casual dining chain Red Robin and why that works for Donatos—and why it won’t keep the chain from growing in other ways. He talks about such other expansion strategies as using ghost kitchens.