Roger David

Roger David started his career at Gold Star Chili as a dishwasher at the Milford, Ohio location when he was a young teenager. He’s risen through the ranks since then, learning the intricacies of positions, studying all facets of the thriving business and now leading the organization that boasts two iconic brands in its portfolio as President and CEO of GSR Brands, the franchisor of Gold Star and Tom & Chee.

Roger leads a team of dedicated hospitality professionals working to “redefine the chili experience” and continue building the Gold Star brand that his family started more than 56 years ago. Since being named president and CEO in 2015, Roger has expanded the business to include Tom & Chee, the famous grilled cheese melts and soup restaurant chain that rocketed to stardom thanks to a successful appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” and the creation of GSR Brands, the parent company of the two successful brands.

Under his leadership, Gold Star has completed strategic updates to all areas of its business to drive success and growth for the next 50 years and beyond. A $25 million investment translated into a new restaurant look, menu and guest experience for its 60+ locations throughout Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Roger believes restaurant brands are built tableside and has advanced the company’s training and development efforts. The company also made a deliberate investment into facility efficiencies to build environmentally-friendly restaurants, which pays off for franchise owners who are realizing improvements in labor costs, energy usage and employee productivity. Gold Star is in the process of bringing those same strategies to the Tom & Chee brand to position it for success for years to come.

Earlier in his career, Roger served as CEO of national sports restaurant franchise Buffalo Wings & Rings; director of brand strategy at Brandimage, a brand design and consultancy serving Fortune 500 clients; and vice president of marketing at Gold Star. He has served as a member of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation board, ArtWorks Big Pitch mentor and judge, President of the Music Resource Center and Vice President of the Council on Child Abuse.

Roger holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Xavier University.