GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Aug. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB), a casual dining restaurant chain serving an innovative selection of high-quality gourmet burgers in a family-friendly atmosphere, today announced the appointment of Jeff Melnick as senior vice president of Operations.  Melnick will be responsible for leading regional restaurant management teams overseeing the operational performance of more than 380 company-owned Red Robin® restaurants in the U.S.  

Melnick has more than 25 years of experience in the casual dining industry and has served as a regional vice president of Operations for Red Robin since 2006.  In this role, Melnick was responsible for the results of company-owned Red Robin restaurants in the southwestern U.S., including locations in California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas.

"Since joining the Red Robin team, Jeff's talents and leadership have contributed to Red Robin's growth and success in an important regional market where the Red Robin brand is widely recognized and respected," said Steve Carley, Red Robin's chief executive officer.  "Jeff's promotion to lead our nationwide Operations team is well-deserved and is part of our focus on achieving excellence in service and execution.  We look forward to Jeff's continued leadership as we build an organization focused on engaging our restaurant teams, creating memorable guest experiences and driving superior results."

"I am honored to be a part of an outstanding and passionate Red Robin family and grateful for the opportunity to lead our Operations teams to even greater success," said Melnick.  "We have more than 26,000 Red Robin Team members serving more than a million guests a year, and many shareholders investing in our success.  Making sure all of these stakeholders are excited about our brand and have a consistently great Red Robin experience is a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously.  I'm looking forward to working with our Operations leaders and all my fellow Team Members to deliver great experiences to our guests."  

In addition to promoting Melnick to senior vice president of Operations, the Company appointed five new Red Robin regional vice presidents (RVPs) as part of the Company's efforts to align the Operations organization to better serve the current and future needs of the business.  The five new Red Robin RVPs are Amanda Busby, Mid-Pacific Division; Al Hansen, Midwest Division; Amy Jones, Southwest Division; Daniel Lett, Gulf Coast Division; and Tim Mei, Northwest Division.  They join four additional Red Robin RVPs for a total of nine regional operations leaders who will report to Melnick.

Melnick, a native of Colorado, earned a Masters of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, Denver, Colo.

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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