---
title: "QSR: Toppers Pizza Executive Weighs in on Andy Puzder Cabinet Pick"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/faf33286-180b-42ca-afde-37a6216c850f
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/qsr-toppers-pizza-executive-weighs-in-on-andy-puzder-cabinet-pick-8833
category: "Restaurants"
industry: "Restaurants"
published: 2016-12-22T22:17:33.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:11:59.098Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/edbfde9eeacf6d9727904724a62ba2429410.jpg
---

# QSR: Toppers Pizza Executive Weighs in on Andy Puzder Cabinet Pick

**TL;DR:** Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, has been nominated for labor secretary by Donald Trump. Kendall Richmond, CFO of Toppers Pizza, praises Puzder's understanding of the restaurant business.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2016-12-22. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/qsr-toppers-pizza-executive-weighs-in-on-andy-puzder-cabinet-pick-8833).*

## Story

As Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, he has started laying out the team who will make up the new Cabinet, and his pick for secretary of labor comes from the franchise restaurant industry. Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants (parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s), has been tapped by Trump for labor secretary, and according to a recent article by QSR, restaurant executives are hopeful about having one of their own in the role.

“This is great news,” Kendall Richmond, chief financial officer of Toppers Pizza, told QSR. “Andy understands the restaurant business.” Puzder will still be subject to confirmation like all members of the Cabinet, but many restaurant executives are encouraged by his history of opposing government regulation.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- Toppers Pizza (company)
- Carl's Jr. (company)
- Donald Trump (person)
- Hardee's (company)
- CKE Restaurants (company)
- government regulation (topic)
- labor secretary (topic)
- cabinet pick (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/qsr-toppers-pizza-executive-weighs-in-on-andy-puzder-cabinet-pick-8833). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/faf33286-180b-42ca-afde-37a6216c850f).