Oak & Stone Names Chad Devorak Brand President
Oak & Stone taps 20-year Yard House and Houlihan's veteran Chad Devorak as Brand President to lead its next phase of growth.
A New Leader for a Pivotal Moment
Artistry Restaurants just handed the keys to Oak & Stone, its craft kitchen and self-pour tap wall concept, to a guy who already knows what it looks like to turn a small brand into something a giant wants to buy.
Chad Devorak is the new Brand President, and the timing is not an accident. Three new Oak & Stone locations just opened. More are in the pipeline. Bryan Lockwood, CEO of Artistry Restaurants, called it a pivotal moment: "We are excited to have Chad Devorak join us in leading the brand's continued growth. With the recent opening of three new locations and others in the pipeline, it is an exciting time for Oak & Stone. Chad's leadership skills, experience and talent will be an asset in taking the brand to the next level."
That's not boilerplate executive praise. That's a CEO telling you exactly why he hired this specific person for this specific moment.
From Mom & Pop to Darden's Radar
Here's what makes Devorak interesting: he spent more than 20 years at Yard House Restaurants, working his way up from early roles all the way to Regional Vice President. Along the way, he helped Yard House go from a "mom & pop" operation to a brand big enough to catch the eye of Darden Restaurants, one of the largest full-service restaurant companies out there.
That's not a small line on a resume. Scaling a concept to the point where Darden wants it means Devorak has lived through the exact growing pains Oak & Stone is facing right now.
After Yard House, he spent five years as Senior Vice President at Houlihan's Restaurants. His focus there was twofold: sharpen the guest experience while also tightening up operational efficiency. Those two goals don't always play nice together. Pulling both off at once is its own skill, and it's one Oak & Stone clearly wants in its corner.
Understanding Both Ends of the Growth Curve
Put those two chapters together and you get someone who understands both ends of the growth curve. He knows how to take a scrappy, small brand and build it into something a major player wants to acquire. He also knows how to run the tighter ship that comes once a brand matures.
For Oak & Stone, sitting right in the middle of an active expansion push, that combination looks less like a coincidence and more like a deliberate hire.
A People-First Philosophy That Travels
Devorak's own comments lean hard into culture. "Putting people first while delivering best in class experiences has been central to my approach, along with developing strong teams that win, grow and contribute to the brand's overall success," he said.
He tied that directly to his new employer, adding, "These principles are in direct alignment with the ethos behind Artistry Restaurants and its brands. I look forward to leveraging Oak & Stone's many brand strengths to achieve unstoppable growth and continued success."
Notice that it's the same people-first language he brought to Houlihan's. New brand, new company, same operating philosophy. That consistency matters more than it might sound, because it tells you what kind of leader is walking through the door: one who doesn't reinvent himself for every job.
What Unstoppable Growth Actually Requires
The real test is what "unstoppable growth" actually looks like once new locations start opening under his watch. Replicating a self-pour tap wall and scratch kitchen concept across new markets isn't simple. Every new site is a chance to either protect what made Oak & Stone work in the first place or water it down.
Nobody has laid out a specific roadmap yet. No unit count targets, no timeline, just intent and a résumé that backs it up.
Not a Caretaker, a Builder
What's clear is the direction. Artistry Restaurants didn't bring in a caretaker. They brought in someone who's already helped build a brand big enough to get bought by Darden, then spent five more years learning how to run a tight, guest-focused operation at scale.
Oak & Stone just finished opening three locations with more on the way. Whether Devorak can turn that momentum into the kind of growth that gets an industry's attention is the next chapter worth watching.