Perkins American Food Co., the casual-dining restaurant chain formerly known as Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, has appointed Matt Carpenter as its new President, bringing more than 40 years of seasoned restaurant leadership to guide the brand into its next chapter.
Carpenter joins Perkins with a deep background spanning operational leadership, franchising and turnaround experience across both national chains and franchise partnerships. Most recently, he served as an operating executive advising founders, private equity investors and family-owned restaurant companies on boosting performance, strengthening leadership teams and improving unit economics, roles that blended strategy with boots-on-the-ground execution.
The appointment comes at a time of strategic renewal for Perkins, which rebranded to Perkins American Food Co. in 2024 and has been refreshing its menu offerings and restaurant designs. With Carpenter at the helm, Perkins’ leadership is signaling a renewed focus on operational excellence, franchise strength and long-term growth in a competitive casual-dining landscape.
This leadership change is timely since, family dining concepts face shifting consumer preferences and pressure to innovate while maintaining comfort, value and quality. A leader with deep execution experience across franchising and operations could help Perkins better navigate these challenges and expand its footprint with renewed vigor.
Perkins’ appointment of Matt Carpenter reflects a broader trend in the restaurant business: brands are increasingly turning to experienced, operationally-savvy executives to lead transformation and scale growth. Carpenter’s breadth of experience, from franchise-led expansion to executive roles at established chains, is well matched with Perkins’ goals of modernization and expansion. Success will hinge on his ability to balance heritage appeal with fresh relevance in a competitive dining market.
