Brandon Wilhelm has been named chief executive officer of McLean, Virginia-based Hangry Joe’s, effective immediately.
He serves on the fast-growing hot chicken chain’s franchising board of directors and most recently served as its acting chief marketing officer. As he takes over the CEO role, he is tasked with leading the company’s next phase of growth, strengthening franchisee support, expanding the brand’s footprint as it prepares to open 20 new locations, and investing in the marketing and operational infrastructure to support that expansion.
Wilhelm brings more than 20 years of franchise development experience to the role. He spent nearly two decades developing Subway franchise territory across the Midwest as a development agent, eventually overseeing operations strategy for more than 500 locations and mentoring more than 140 franchisees.
In 2023, he joined the Hangry Joe’s system as a multiunit franchisee and president of Hangry Development Texas.
Prior, in addition to his experience with Subway, he was co-owner of Ole Salty’s Potato Chips. He began his career with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, according to his LinkedIn account. Wilhelm holds a bachelor’s degree Baylor University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
In a statement, he said his number one focus as CEO is franchisee profitability, including reducing cost of goods, driving sales, and improving franchisees’ bottom lines.
“If we give our franchisees the support, marketing, and systems they need to thrive, this brand will grow organically and quickly,” he said. “We have the best chicken in the industry and I believe the whole country needs to try it.”
He has laid out four priorities as he steps into the role, including strengthening the profitability of current locations; bolstering marketing and advertising investments to drive awareness and traffic; improving operational efficiencies; and pursuing disciplined restaurant development by “pairing the right franchise owner with the right location, every time.”
Hangry Joe’s was founded in 2021 and has since grown to more than 90 locations across more than 20 states in the U.S. and international markets such United Arab Emirates.
The chain finished 2025 with $130.1 million in sales, marking a 33.4% year-over-year increase, according to Technomic data.
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