Shake Shack names Papa John's CEO as its new leader in CEO shakeup

Shake Shack named a new CEO on Thursday, the first outsider to lead the company in its 20-year history.

Rob Lynch, the current president and CEO of the Papa John’s pizza chain, will join Shake Shack’s board and become its CEO on May 20.

Lynch succeeds Randy Garutti, who started what would become Shake Shack from a hot dog cart in New York’s Madison Square Park in 2001. At the time, Garutti was the director of operations for restauranteur Danny Meyer, the founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and the chairman and founder of Shake Shack.

Shake Shack was founded in 2004 and held an IPO in 2015. Garutti will remain with the company through the end of this year to ensure a smooth transition.