FAT Brands, which operates restaurant chains including Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, has announced the return of Andy Wiederhorn as its CEO.
Wiederhorn resigned from the position in May 2023 due to a federal investigation into allegations of fraud and tax evasion.
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The Justice Department had indicted Wiederhorn on charges related to an alleged scheme to hide $47m in distributions he received as shareholder loans from the US Internal Revenue Service, minority shareholders and the investing public.
But in July 2025, the US Attorney for the Central District of California moved to dismiss all charges against Andrew Wiederhorn, Rebecca Hershinger and William Amon.
Wiederhorn and his legal team maintain that he is innocent, claiming the events in question involved no criminal conduct, victims or financial losses.
During Wiederhorn’s absence, Ken Kuick and Rob Rosen managed the company as co-CEOs.
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By GlobalDataFollowing Rosen’s shift to a consulting role, Taylor Wiederhorn was named co-CEO alongside Kuick.
With Wiederhorn’s return, Kuick and Taylor Wiederhorn will resume their previous roles at FAT Brands, with Kuick as chief financial officer and Taylor Wiederhorn as chief development officer.
Andy Wiederhorn stated: “I am grateful to both Ken and Taylor for their time as co-CEO’s where they were instrumental in accelerating growth across our portfolio of brands.
“I am thrilled to step back into the CEO role, building on our momentum and delivering on our strategic priorities — organic expansion, targeted acquisitions, increasing our manufacturing facility’s capacity and focusing on our balance sheet — to reinforce our position as a global leader in the restaurant industry.”
