Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (Nasdaq: CBRL) today announced that its Board of Directors has elected Lawrence E. Hyatt the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Hyatt, who will join the Company on January 3, 2011, will have responsibility for all aspects of the Company’s finance, accounting, investor relations and information services functions. He will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Woodhouse.
“We are pleased to have someone with Larry’s extensive experience joining Cracker Barrel,” said Woodhouse. “His experience as a public company CFO in both the restaurant and retail industries is of great value as we look forward to building on Cracker Barrel’s recent successes and positioning the Company for sustained profitable growth.”
Hyatt has over 20 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer with various organizations. Most recently he served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of O’Charley’s Inc., a multi-concept restaurant company, a position to which he was appointed in 2004. He also served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of O’Charley’s Inc. from February 2009 through June 2009. Previous positions include serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cole National Corporation, a specialty retailer, as Chief Financial and Restructuring Officer of PSINet Inc., an internet service provider, as Chief Financial Officer of HMS Host Corporation, a subsidiary of Autogrill S.p.A., and as Chief Financial Officer of Sodexho Marriott Services, Inc. and its predecessor company.