Whit's Frozen Custard Names Amos Durbin as COO

A Veteran Operator Joins at a Pivotal Moment

Whit's Frozen Custard has named Amos Durbin as its new chief operating officer, bringing more than two decades of restaurant and franchise leadership into a company that is actively scaling its footprint. The hire lands at a specific moment: Whit's is still building out its national franchise network, and it needs an operator who has done this before.

Durbin's career has followed a consistent thread, helping franchise partners grow their businesses, tightening systems behind the scenes, and pushing brands into new and established markets alike. That pattern is precisely why Whit's came calling.

A Career Built on Franchise Growth

Durbin's path to this role runs through several recognizable names in the industry. Most recently, he served as COO of Viking Group, a Donatos franchise partner, where he oversaw day-to-day operations. Before that, he joined JHG Pizza as COO supporting its Donatos operations, and within 30 days was elevated to CEO and managing partner, a promotion quick enough to say something on its own about how fast he earned trust. He later guided that company through a transition to new ownership.

The foundation for all of it, though, was laid during 4½ years at Donatos itself, where he served as vice president of franchise operations and worked directly with partners to streamline systems and expand the brand. The results from that stretch are concrete: franchise partners more than doubled their EBITDA, average unit sales climbed by more than $4,000 per week, and the brand pushed into both new and established markets.

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Experience Across Multiple Dining Formats

His resume stretches beyond pizza, too. Durbin spent time as a regional director at DineEquity, representing IHOP in family dining while supporting franchise business consultants, training consultants, and marketing consultants.

Earlier still, he logged over 12 years at Red Robin, leading five district managers across 32 restaurants that generated $106 million in revenue, with a hand in opening 108 new restaurants during that span. Pizza, family dining, casual dining: three different structures, three different operating rhythms. That breadth gives Durbin a working knowledge of franchise systems at different scales, which is exactly the kind of range Whit's will need as its own network grows.

A Relationship Built on Trust

The connection to Whit's wasn't cold. Durbin's time at Donatos overlapped directly with Whit's CEO Bill Aseere, who had worked alongside him before.

"I've had the opportunity to work with Amos before, and I saw firsthand the way he approaches franchise operations and, more importantly, the way he works with people," Aseere said. "He understands that successful growth is about much more than opening more stores. It's about giving franchise partners the tools, support and confidence they need to build great businesses while protecting what makes the brand special. Amos brings tremendous experience and energy to Whit's, and I'm excited to have him on the team as we continue growing this brand together."

A prior working relationship like that strips out a lot of the guesswork that normally comes with an executive hire. Whit's isn't betting on a resume alone; it's betting on a philosophy it has already seen in action.

Durbin's Vision for Whit's Future

Durbin's own framing of the opportunity echoes that same logic. "I'm incredibly excited to join Whit's at such an important point in the company's growth," he said. "There's something special about this brand. Whit's has a great product, passionate franchise partners and a culture that is genuinely focused on the communities where its stores operate. My goal is to help build on that foundation, supporting our franchisees, strengthening our operations and creating the systems and resources that allow Whit's to grow while staying true to who we are."

In practical terms, that means leading company operations and backing the expanding franchise network as Whit's enters new communities, leaning on a background in multi-unit leadership to shore up the support systems owners rely on even as the brand's footprint widens.

Balancing Growth With Authenticity

Whit's growth strategy has always leaned on franchise partners who shape each location around local character, serving what the company calls unforgettable frozen custard, made fresh daily, in spaces built to reflect the communities they sit in. Durbin's stated priorities, building systems while protecting authenticity, point toward a brand trying to scale with some discipline, wary of the operational gaps that tend to open up when expansion outpaces infrastructure.

What hasn't been disclosed yet are specifics: no named markets for near-term growth, no timelines on new franchise agreements, no performance benchmarks Whit's is targeting based on Durbin's prior work. The pattern across his career is clear enough on its own, measurable financial gains at Donatos, a fast promotion at JHG Pizza, sustained district growth at Red Robin, but whether that pattern repeats itself inside Whit's is still an open question.

What This Hire Means for Whit's

What the hire does confirm is a brand formalizing its approach to operational maturity while it keeps adding franchise partners. Durbin arrives with experience across pizza, family dining, and casual dining, and a leadership team that already trusts how he works, not from a pitch deck, but from having stood next to him before.

That combination gives Whit's a COO positioned to support expansion without losing the community-rooted identity that has carried the brand this far.