Taco John’s appointed Damian Hanft as vice president of human resources in April, part of a leadership restructuring that includes two other executive appointments at the Mexican quick-service restaurant chain.
Hanft, who previously served as head of talent at Inspire Brands, joins the Wyoming-based company with experience in talent management, learning and development, human resources, labor relations and training. His primary responsibility will be developing an HR strategy aligned with Taco John’s corporate objectives.
“We are confident in Kristin, Tom, and Damian’s leadership as we drive a new era for Taco John’s,” said Heather Neary, president and CEO of Taco John’s. “As we continue to scale strategically, we are fine-tuning our operations to ensure franchisees are set up for success from day one. It’s critical that we have the right people in the right roles — leaders who are fully aligned with our core values and mission such as these three.”
Additional leadership changes
The company also announced the promotion of Kristin Nuss to general counsel and corporate secretary, effective January 2025. Nuss joined Taco John’s in May 2021 as associate general counsel and director of franchise compliance and contracts, bringing over 25 years of legal experience across multiple sectors.
In March 2025, Tom Perella joined as vice president of technology. With more than 20 years of retail technology experience, Perella previously held leadership positions at GoTo Foods and Duck Donuts.
Franchise expansion continues
The executive appointments come as Taco John’s pursues nationwide expansion. The company operates nearly 350 locations across 22 states and reports that its top 25% of freestanding restaurants with drive-thru have an average unit volume of $1,881,809.
“Our entire team has collaborated to enhance systems across the board, from onboarding to branding to technology,” Neary said. “As a leader in the QSR space, we feel a responsibility to continue to find new ways to innovate, not just for new franchisees, but so existing franchisees are able to drive unit-level profitability and expand their market presence with our new processes.”
The company identified the Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountain regions and high-growth suburban markets nationwide as target areas for expansion.
