McAlister's Deli has named Carin Stutz President effective November 17, 2014. McAlister's Deli is a fast-casual deli concept with more than 330 restaurants in more than 24 states.

"Carin's vast experience in building great teams, creating brand differentiation, driving operations and delivering results make her an ideal candidate for the position," said FOCUS Brands CEO Steve DeSutter. "I feel confident that McAlister's will continue to thrive under her leadership and industry expertise."

Most recently Carin served as President and CEO of Cosi, a fast casual restaurant chain that's known for its crackly crust flatbread. Prior to that she was President, Global Business Development at Brinker International, the parent company of Chili's Bar & Grill and Maggiano's; Executive Vice President of Operations for Applebee's; and Division Vice President of Wendy's International.

Technomic® recognized McAlister's twice in its Chain Restaurant Consumers' Choice Awards — in 2014 as the top kid-friendly fast casual chain and in 2013 as the top fast casual chain for food and beverage. This year, Nation's Restaurant News named McAlister's the top limited-service sandwich chain in its Consumer Picks Survey. Also in 2014, QSR Magazine recognized the brand as one of the "Best Franchise Deals" and named McAlister's to its QSR 50 list, ranking 13th for U.S. average sales per unit in 2013. FastCasual.com also recognized the brand on its "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list of 2014 and Franchise Business Review named McAlister's one of the "Top Food Franchises" in 2014 based on franchisee satisfaction.