Kevin King is a visionary leader with a distinguished executive career in the restaurant industry spanning over three decades with multiple household brands. With expertise cultivated through a dynamic journey in development and operational roles, he has been instrumental in the creation of more than 1,500 restaurants across six countries.
Currently serving as CEO and President of Donatos Pizza, King expertly drives growth while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the brand’s core values. A familiar face to the family-owned company, King originally joined Donatos in 1990, where he spent 13 years establishing a strong model for franchising as Vice President of Development. Upon returning as President in 2022, and following his promotion to CEO and President in 2024, King has cultivated a talented leadership team, ensuring a well-rounded foundation in franchising, operations, marketing, people services, and technology as Donatos Pizza continues to innovate and expand.
Before returning to Donatos Pizza, King was the Chief Business Development Officer at Smoothie King, a leader in the lifestyle beverage category. From 2016 to 2021, King played an instrumental role in growing Smoothie King’s global footprint. Under King’s leadership, Smoothie King grew from less than 900 total locations to over 1,000 locations across three continents, becoming one of the fastest-growing franchises in the world.
King also spent 10 years with Papa Murphy’s, the world’s largest take-and-bake pizza chain, as Senior Vice President. There, King was responsible for more-than-doubling Papa Murphy’s growth, expanding from approximately 700 stores in 2005 to over 1,500 upon his departure in 2015. King was also a member of the leadership team that took Papa Murphy’s public in 2014.
In 2023, King was recognized as a top executive in Central Ohio with a Columbus Smart 50 Award. Since King’s return to Donatos Pizza, the brand has earned numerous awards and recognitions. Most recently, Donatos Pizza was recognized by Franchise Business Review as one of the Most Profitable Franchises of 2024. Additional accolades for the brand include Franchise Times Top 400, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers, and a Franchise Times Zor Award as Top Brand to Buy.
King is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He and his wife, Leslie, reside in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and have three children, Laura, Drew, and Ethan.