Miller’s Ale House promotes Joel Chick to CEO

Miller’s Ale House has promoted COO Joel Chick to CEO.

Chick, who joined the 115-unit bar and grill chain last March, replaces Brett Patterson, who left to take the CEO job at Portillo’s in February.

Chick announced his promotion in a LinkedIn post last week.

Before joining Miller’s, Chick spent just over a year as VP of operations for Outback Steakhouse. He was also president of 4R Restaurant Group, the owner of 4 Rivers Smokehouse, for a year and a half.

He spent the bulk of his career at Red Lobster, where he rose the ranks from manager in 2001 to COO in 2021.

In his LinkedIn post, Chick reflected on a long restaurant career that began as a host.

“To the teams I have served beside, the leaders who invested their time and trust, and the many teammates across the industry who bring purpose and pride to their work every day, thank you. I carry those lessons forward with gratitude and responsibility,” he wrote. “I am excited for what is ahead and fully committed to leading with intention, accountability, and heart, focused on our people, our guests, and the communities we serve.”

Atlanta-based Miller’s has grown steadily since the pandemic, expanding from 93 units in 2020 to 115 today. In 2025, however, sales growth slowed to 0.1% year over year and unit count was flat, according to Technomic data.