New CDO at Checkers & Rally’s Aims to Push Remodeling Effort

Across 670 units and 40-plus years in business, fast-food burger chain Checkers & Rally’s relished the power of the drive-thru.

Peter Busse, the company’s chief development officer, sees opportunity to leverage the double drive-thru’s impact in franchise development.

“What attracted me to the company is wanting to build a stronger, more modern portfolio, establish a healthy pipeline and leave this brand in a better place than I found it,” Busse said. “Help franchisees execute, reinvest in the brand, see them grow and see them be successful.”

Busse joined Checkers & Rally’s in July, coming off more than two decades in restaurant development with leadership roles at Torchy’s Tacos and Yum Brands. Working for large-scale restaurant concepts has Busse confident in guiding turnaround efforts for Checkers & Rally’s, which has struggled in recent years.

Sales and unit growth

Systemwide sales have been declining since 2021 and were down nearly 5 percent last year, to $811 million, per Franchise Times Top 400 data. The unit count fell 4.8 percent in 2025.

Busse said he’s determined to make brand recognition count on the development side as Checkers & Rally’s undergoes store remodels and installs new outdoor lighting and external building graphics.

“We’re a late-night brand, so we really wanted to make sure the lighting on the site reflected that and was a beacon in the night,” Busse said. “The execution has been phenomenal, and we’re definitely seeing the lift from sales and traffic, which means a lot more customers are noticing us and coming back to the brand.”

Remodeling efforts

The company completed 13 corporate store remodels this year; franchise remodels will start in 2027.

“The brand has a really good existing footprint—had it for decades. It’s got good customer awareness, and there’s a strong foundation to build upon, so I think there’s an opportunity to continue to reinvest in the existing system,” Busse said. “A lot of our assets are overdue for reimaging. We need to really up that ante and then look at the white space opportunities that exist across the country.”

Drive-thrus will continue to make all the difference at Checkers & Rally’s, especially as competitors race for sought-after real estate. Busse said he’s equally open to exploring nontraditional franchise development in stadiums, big-box supermarkets and airports.

“The company is built on a value proposition,” he said. “We’ve built the brand on the double drive-thru. Now it’s about understanding essentially how we leverage that into the future.