GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Dec. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., (NASDAQ: RRGB), a casual dining restaurant chain focused on serving an innovative selection of high-quality gourmet burgers in a family-friendly atmosphere, today announced the appointment of Jonathan Muhtar as senior vice president and chief marketing officer.  

Mr. Muhtar will be responsible for driving all aspects of Red Robin's marketing and menu, positioning the brand for optimum performance in the highly competitive casual dining industry.  He will lead Red Robin teams in the areas of menu innovation and implementation, customer relationship management, social media, brand positioning, pricing, promotions and field marketing, as well as directing media strategy.  He will report to Denny Marie Post, Red Robin's executive vice president and chief concept officer.

"Jonathan's proven track record of developing and leading powerful marketing teams and his extensive experience in the restaurant industry will be invaluable in driving Red Robin's business results," said Ms. Post.  "In addition to his leadership talents, Jonathan's infinite curiosity, passion for taking on big challenges and combination of solid analytical and creative thinking will serve us well as we continue to build our brand and deliver a great guest experience."

Mr. Muhtar brings to Red Robin more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience in branding, marketing and product innovation. Before joining Red Robin, Mr. Muhtar served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Captain D's restaurant chain where he built and led a team that helped revitalize the brand and drive significant improvements in same store sales and unit volumes.  He previously held global marketing, new concept strategy and product marketing roles during a highly successful career at Burger King, served as a consultant at Swander Pace & Company and, as an entrepreneur, owned and operated the first Smoothie King franchise in South Florida. 

Mr. Muhtar earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Ill., and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Tulane University in New Orleans, La.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., is the Gourmet Burger Authority™, famous for serving more than two dozen craveable, high-quality burgers with Bottomless Steak Fries® in a fun environment welcoming to guests of all ages.  In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts and signature Mad Mixology® Beverages. Red Robin offers a variety of options behind the bar, including its extensive selection of local and regional beers, and innovative adult beer shakes and cocktails, recently earning the restaurant the 2014 VIBE Vista Award for Best Beer Program in a Multi-Unit Chain Restaurant. There are more than 500 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada, including Red Robin Burger Works® locations and those operating under franchise agreements. Red Robin... YUMMM®! Connect with Red Robin on Facebook and Twitter. 

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SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.