BBQ Holdings, Inc., the multi-brand restaurant company behind Famous Dave’s and Granite City Food and Brewery, and the newly acquired Village Inn and Bakers Square, has announced the hiring of Manny Packing as the brand’s new vice president of franchise sales and real estate.

“I’m very excited to join the BBQ Holdings team, and appreciate the trust of the company’s leadership,” says Packing. “The restaurant space is constantly evolving, especially today, and with over two decades of experience in the industry, I look forward to leveraging my expertise to help expand Famous Dave’s footprint across the United States and the globe.”

Most recently, Packing was the Director of International Real Estate and Construction for Inspire Brands, the owner and franchisor of several legacy franchise brands, including Arby’s, Sonic Drive-In, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins. Here, Packing was responsible for onboarded new franchisees and led efforts to market, plan and develop new territories and build new restaurants across the company’s network of over 32,000 locations.

Packing has also held franchise sales, operations and other development roles with Buffalo Wild Wings, Pinkberry and Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and more. Packing holds a BA from UCLA and an MBA from Loyola Marymount University.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Manny to our BBQ Holdings’s family and we are confident that he will be the perfect addition to our leadership team,” adds BBQ Holdings’s CEO Jeff Crivello. “The BBQ Holdings portfolio is expanding rapidly and we are proud to have an experienced industry veteran like Manny to guide our growth. Manny will help us partner with the right candidates as we expand our footprint across the country and take our brand to the next level.”