Executive Spotlight: Who Is Roland Spongberg, WKS Restaurant Group Founder and Chief Executive Officer? (2027)
Roland Spongberg is the founder and chief executive officer of WKS Restaurant Group, a multi-brand restaurant franchisee based in Cypress, California. A September 22, 2026 company announcement says he remains CEO while Jay Spongberg takes the role of president and chief operating officer. The conference bio says he started the company in 1987 with one restaurant and one brand.
Today the company reports 382 restaurants in 20 states across four brands: Wendy's, Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme. This page covers public professional information only, drawn from the company's announcement, a conference speaker bio and trade and business press.
Current role and company
WKS Restaurant Group describes itself as one of the largest restaurant franchisees in the United States. It does not own the brands it operates; it runs restaurants under franchise agreements with Wendy's, Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Spongberg leads the company as founder and CEO, and the September 2026 announcement confirms he continues in that role.
- CompanyWKS Restaurant Group, Cypress, California; multi-brand franchisee (company announcement, Sept 2026).
- TitleFounder and Chief Executive Officer (company announcement, Sept 2026; conference speaker page, 2026).
- BrandsWendy's, Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (company announcement, Sept 2026).
- Started1987, with one restaurant and one brand (conference speaker bio).
Career path
- Real estate first. A 2021 Orange County Business Journal profile says he began in real estate at Spongberg, Kirkland & Associates and moved into restaurants after the 1980s recession.
- Founding WKS. The conference bio says he began building the company in 1987 with a single restaurant. A 2021 Franchising.com profile says he had been in franchising and in his current position for 34 years.
- Adding brands. By December 2021 the company operated 331 units: Denny's (126), Wendy's (86), El Pollo Loco (69), Krispy Kreme (40) and Blaze Pizza (10), according to Franchising.com. Blaze Pizza is not among the four brands in the company's 2026 announcement.
- Handing over operations. In September 2026 WKS promoted Jay Spongberg to president and COO. Roland Spongberg said he was excited to keep working with him in the expanded role and that he had seen firsthand the impact Jay has had on WKS.
What he is known for
- Largest franchisee positions. The conference bio says WKS has become the largest franchisee of Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and the largest Wendy's franchisee in California.
- Steady development. In 2021 the company said it builds six to eight new restaurants a year and pursues acquisitions when they arise (Franchising.com).
- In-house technology. The same profile says WKS has a software team that built accounting, reporting and HR workflow applications and integrates company systems.
- Community giving. Franchising.com named him its 2020 Noble Cause Award MVP and cited giving figures reported by the company, including more than $3.2 million raised to date as of the 2021 article.
- Local recognition. The Orange County Business Journal page notes a Family-Owned Business Award, and the 2021 profile says he was named an Orange County Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.
Leadership style and philosophy
In the 2021 Franchising.com profile he described his management style as "Collaborative. First, hire great people and then work with your team to make the big decisions." He listed the company's core values as teamwork, integrity, loyalty, service and winning, and gave the mission as "We win by making our guest happy and our people more successful than they ever thought possible."
On financing he said, "Debt is a double-edged sword," and on where his focus was shifting, "I need to get out of the restaurant business and into the people business." The 2026 conference bio adds that he believes each restaurant should be run with passion and commitment and takes pride in seeing team members grow their careers. In 2021 he also said he had spent four years building a framework to keep the business running across generations.
Key numbers
Figures are company-reported, with the date shown. Counts change, so check the company for current numbers.
- December 2021331 units (Denny's 126, Wendy's 86, El Pollo Loco 69, Krispy Kreme 40, Blaze Pizza 10); more than 10,000 employees (Franchising.com profile; total derived from the brand counts).
- September 2026382 restaurants in 20 states across four brands; the announcement says the count grew from 65 to 382 during Jay Spongberg's 16 years as COO (company announcement).
- 2026More than 10,000 employees (conference speaker bio).
Questions people ask
Who is Roland Spongberg?
He is the founder and chief executive officer of WKS Restaurant Group, a Cypress, California franchisee of Wendy's, Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme.
When was WKS Restaurant Group started?
The conference bio says he began building the company in 1987 with one restaurant and one brand.
How many restaurants does WKS operate?
The company's September 2026 announcement reports 382 restaurants in 20 states. A 2021 Franchising.com profile counted 331 units, so the number depends on the date.
Which brands does WKS franchise?
Wendy's, Denny's, El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, per the September 2026 announcement. In 2021 it also operated Blaze Pizza units.
Is Roland Spongberg still CEO?
Yes. The September 22, 2026 announcement says he continues as CEO while Jay Spongberg became president and chief operating officer.
Sources
- Restaurant Finance & Development Conference: Roland Spongberg, President | CEO, WKS Restaurant Group (2026) · Bio, 1987 start, counts, portrait
- Franchising.com: Jay Spongberg Promoted to President & Chief Operating Officer of WKS Restaurant Group (Sep 22, 2026) · Current title, brands, 382 restaurants, quotes
- Franchising.com: MVP Roland Spongberg Gives Back, 2020 Noble Cause Award recipient (Dec 31, 2021) · 2021 unit counts, management quotes, giving
- Orange County Business Journal: Roland Spongberg, OC 500 · Real estate background, award; photo caption naming him
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is a solo headshot of Spongberg from the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference speaker page, whose image is labelled with his name and title; it is centered on a page-format card because the original is a small portrait. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Restaurant Finance & Development Conference speaker page (restfinance.com)