BJ’s Restaurants hires Darden marketer as brand president

BJ’s Restaurants has hired an experienced marketer from Darden Restaurants as its first brand president.

Monika Saxena joins the casual-dining chain after eight years as EVP of brand marketing for Darden-owned LongHorn Steakhouse, where she contributed to 20 straight quarters of positive same-store sales for the brand. She spent a total of 16 years at Darden, mostly with LongHorn plus a brief stint at Bahama Breeze. Before that, she was an associate marketing manager at Johnson & Johnson from 2005 to 2009.

She joins BJ's in the midst of a resurgence. The 200-unit, Huntington Beach, California-based chain is coming off its seventh straight quarter of same-store sales and traffic growth thanks to improvements to its food, operations, and marketing over the past year and a half.

“We’re delighted to welcome Monika to the BJ’s family,” said CEO and President Lyle Tick in a statement. “Monika’s proven track record of delivering sustainable long-term results through clear brand positioning, a relentless focus on product quality and guest experience, and the development of high-performing teams makes her an ideal addition to our leadership team.”

The brand president role is new for BJ’s. It’s in addition to the chief marketing officer job held by longtime marketing leader Heidi Rogers.

In a statement, Saxena said she has long admired BJ’s and has been a loyal customer for years.

“From the signature deep-dish pizza and craft beer pedigree to the world-famous Pizookie, BJ’s has built a distinctive experience that guests genuinely love and celebrate,” she said. “I’m honored to join the team during this exciting period of growth.”