Executive Spotlight: SG Ellison, President & CEO of Diversified Restaurant Group (2027)
SG Ellison is president and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG), a Las Vegas, Nevada franchisee of Taco Bell and Arby's. Ellison co-founded the business with David Grieve, was promoted to CEO in 2023, and also founded the real estate developer First Street Development.
Company releases and trade press from late 2025 and 2026 describe DRG as operating more than 360 Taco Bell and Arby's restaurants across multiple states, and QSR Magazine named it its 2025 Franchisee of the Year. This page covers public professional information only, drawn from company pages, press releases and trade coverage.
Current role and company
DRG's own releases from January 2024 and the 2025 award announcement quote Ellison as President and CEO. The company's team page lists the title as "CEO & Franchisee" under executive leadership. Nation's Restaurant News reported in 2026 that DRG reorganized its executive team, with new brand president Todd Kelly reporting directly to Ellison, who was to focus on portfolio growth and new opportunities.
- CompanyDiversified Restaurant Group (DRG), headquartered in Las Vegas, NV; a franchisee, not a franchisor (DRG story page).
- TitlePresident and CEO (DRG release, Jan 2024; Business Wire, Oct 2025); "CEO & Franchisee" on the DRG team page.
- BrandsTaco Bell and Arby's.
- States named by DRGNevada, California, Kansas, Missouri and Alaska (DRG story page and Jan 2024 release).
Career path
- Meeting David Grieve, 2006. DRG's story page says Ellison and Grieve met in 2006 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a real estate transaction.
- First Street Development, 2013. The same page says Ellison founded First Street Development, a build-to-suit provider, in 2013 with Grieve as a lead investment partner.
- Taco Bell acquisitions, 2014. DRG says it acquired 72 Taco Bells in the Bay Area and 13 more in Northern California in 2014. Nation's Restaurant News (2026) describes this as 85 restaurants on the West Coast. A 2023 NRN article instead says the group began with an investment in 29 stores, and a January 2024 release says it began in 2012 with a 30-unit franchise, so accounts of the start differ.
- Speaker bio, 2022. A 2022 restaurant-finance conference speaker page described Ellison as president of DRG, leader of the commercial real estate and restaurant investment firm A&C Ventures, and founder of First Street Development, with a civil engineering degree from Arizona State University and board seats at the Arby's Franchise Association and the Food Service Insurance Group.
- CEO, 2023. NRN reported in March 2023 that Ellison was promoted to CEO to support the next phase of growth.
What Ellison is known for
- Building a large West Coast Taco Bell franchisee. DRG's timeline lists Las Vegas and Reno (63 stores, 2015), Kansas and Missouri (39 stores, 2017) and San Diego and Los Angeles (75 stores, 2021) among its acquisitions.
- Adding Arby's. DRG entered the Arby's system in 2019 with 16 restaurants, mostly in Nevada, and bought six Alaska locations in 2020. NRN reported a 30-unit Arby's business in March 2023.
- Cantinas and new formats. DRG opened the Taco Bell Cantina on the Las Vegas Strip in 2016, the world's first Live Mas Cafe in Chula Vista, California in 2024, and says it committed to 15 more cafes in Southern California and Las Vegas in 2025.
- Technology pilots. The January 2024 release lists a San Francisco ghost kitchen with delivery robots, kiosk-only ordering tests and EV charging stations. QSR's 2025 award cited AI in drive-thrus among other initiatives.
- QSR Franchisee of the Year, 2025. QSR Magazine named DRG its Franchisee of the Year; DRG calls itself the second business to receive the award.
Leadership style and philosophy
On the 2025 award, Ellison said, "Our growth isn't powered by development alone. It's driven by our people, who live our values and deliver genuine hospitality every day." On the 2026 reorganization, Ellison called the changes "a proactive investment in our future" (NRN).
In the March 2023 NRN interview Ellison described California growth as "running into the fire" and, on staff turnover, said "It doesn't always work – we lose people." The same article reports a plan to double revenue and store count within five years through acquisitions, new builds, more Arby's and possibly a third brand. DRG's 2023 timeline also lists the launch of a Women's Leadership Network.
Key numbers
Figures are company-reported or from press coverage of company statements, each with its date. They are not audited, and DRG's own sources use different totals (for example 360-plus and 350-plus in the same January 2024 release), so check current sources.
- 2022 (speaker bio)325 Taco Bell and Arby's locations; more than $600 million in annual DRG revenue (restaurant-finance conference speaker page).
- March 2023Marked its 300th Taco Bell unit; 30 Arby's; seven Cantina-model Taco Bells in three states (NRN).
- 2023Added 33 Taco Bell restaurants, including eight new openings; ranked among the top 10 U.S. Taco Bell franchisees by count (DRG release, Jan 30, 2024).
- October 2025More than 360 Taco Bell and Arby's restaurants across multiple states (Business Wire).
- 2026"360-plus-unit company" (NRN).
Questions people ask
Who is SG Ellison?
SG Ellison is president and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Group, a Las Vegas-based franchisee of Taco Bell and Arby's, and the founder of the real estate firm First Street Development.
What does Diversified Restaurant Group do?
DRG owns and operates Taco Bell and Arby's franchise restaurants in states including Nevada, California, Kansas, Missouri and Alaska. It is a franchisee and does not franchise a brand of its own.
When did SG Ellison become CEO of DRG?
Nation's Restaurant News reported in March 2023 that Ellison was promoted to CEO, and later reported that DRG's brand president Todd Kelly reports directly to Ellison.
How many restaurants does DRG operate?
A Business Wire release from October 2025 describes more than 360 Taco Bell and Arby's restaurants. Counts change, and earlier sources give lower totals.
Who co-founded DRG?
DRG's story page says Ellison and David Grieve founded it. Grieve is described by NRN as DRG's chairman and founder.
Sources
- DRG: Our story · Timeline 2006 to 2025, states, Arby's entry
- DRG: Team · Title; source of the hero headshot (alt text SG Ellison)
- DRG: DRG named Franchisee of the Year · 2025 award, Ellison quote
- Nation's Restaurant News: Taco Bell franchisee reaches 300-unit milestone with plans to double in the next five years (Mar 7, 2023) · CEO promotion, 300 units, growth plan, quotes
- Nation's Restaurant News: Taco Bell franchisee reorganizes executive team to drive more growth (2026) · Reorganization, 360-plus units, 2014 acquisition
- EIN Presswire: Diversified Restaurant Group achieves remarkable growth and innovation in 2023 (Jan 30, 2024) · 2023 additions, states, initiatives (paid company release)
- Business Wire: QSR Magazine names Diversified Restaurant Group 2025 Franchisee of the Year (Oct 31, 2025) · 360-plus restaurants, award (read via search summary)
- Restaurant finance conference: SG Ellison, President, Diversified Restaurant Group (2022 speaker page) · 2022 bio, 325 locations, education, boards
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 the solo official headshot from DRG's team page, where the image alt text reads SG Ellison; it is centered on a page-format card because the original is a tall portrait. Photo: Diversified Restaurant Group. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Diversified Restaurant Group (drgfood.com/team)