GREENSBORO, NC. — Kathie S. Niven, president of Biscuitville Fresh Southern, has taken on the additional role of chief executive officer. Burney Jennings, formerly the CEO, will become executive chair.

Ms. Niven joined the family-owned restaurant chain in 2011. As chief brand officer, she oversaw the creation of Biscuitville’s Fresh Southern brand positioning, which included a new logo, restaurant redesign, packaging, employee uniforms and trademarking. She authored a food innovation process called the “Menu Management Assembly,” which produced the locally sourced Spicy Chicken and Honey Biscuit, the most successful launch in the company’s history. Ms. Niven was named president of Biscuitville in 2018.

“Kathie has tremendous passion and a deep knowledge of Biscuitville and its culture, and she’s fully prepared to assume the role of chief executive officer,” Mr. Jennings said. “Biscuitville has thrived under Kathie’s leadership as president during the last several years, and I’m thrilled that she has accepted new responsibilities as chief executive officer. I will continue to play an important role at Biscuitville but have ultimate confidence in Kathie’s ability to keep our company focused on its core principles and continue our expansion model.”

Maurice Jennings, the late father of Burney Jennings, founded Greensboro-based Biscuitville in 1966 when he opened two pizza restaurants in Burlington, NC. He later added fresh-baked biscuits, which became so popular that the brand evolved to become Biscuitville. The company now operates 62 restaurants in North Carolina and Virginia.

“Burney and his father Maurice Jennings built a foundation of mutual respect among all team members at Biscuitville and a legacy of serving high quality, locally sourced food,” Ms. Niven said. “I look forward to continuing their vision for Biscuitville and being a good steward of their people-first culture. Our commitment to diversity and accessibility begins with me, and as a female executive, my role reinforces our shared belief that we cannot limit our vision of what leadership may look like.”

Before joining Biscuitville, Ms. Niven was vice president of field marketing for Quiznos Corp. and in a variety of marketing roles at RTM/Arby’s Roast Beef Corp., Burger King Corp. and Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp. She received a bachelor of arts degree in English with a minor in communications at Elon University in Elon, NC.