Kurt Hankins

By James Peters

Title: senior vice president of menu development and innovation, Applebee's International, Inc., Overland Park, Kan.

Birth date: Jan. 26, 1960

Hometown: Lexington, Ky.

Education: bachelor's in marketing from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.

Personal: married to wife, Denise, with two daughters

Hobbies: running, golfing

At work Kurt Hankins is the culinary architect of the largest casual-dining brand in the United States.

At home he's just another guy who makes a lot of noise in the kitchen.

Never mind that the senior vice president of menu development and innovation at Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar has 25 years of restaurant experience and has guided the overhaul of more than 90 percent of the 1,700-unit concept's menu since 2001. In the domestic sphere, however, the ambition and talent that have propelled Hankins to the top of his field can be, well, a little bothersome when he cooks for his wife and two daughters.

"My wife is a great cook," Hankins says. "I'm more of the project cook. When I'm cooking, the kitchen is tied up for the whole day. I don't think it's something my family would tolerate seven days a week. They know Dad's in the kitchen because there are a lot of pots and pans going on."

The post-meal cleanup at the Hankins household may not approach the pileup that results from a day of toil among Hankins' team of five chefs at Applebee's headquarters in Overland Park, Kan., but it probably has come close a couple of times.

"That is why I think I like to grill because I get to go outside and stay out of everyone's way," Hankins says.

Obviously, he is a guy who has mastered working within certain parameters whether they're dictated by the home front or by the corporate front. For a public company that has adopted the tag "Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood," it's important to have someone like Hankins, a business-savvy chef whose talent impresses Main Street and Wall Street. Combined with a strong advertising reach, Applebee's has been able to entice more customers with bolder-flavored fare and generate consistently strong same-store sales in the process, observes restaurant stock analyst Hil Davis of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

"They've come out with an interesting, compelling, get-off-the-couch kind of products," Davis says.

But as little as four years ago, Applebee's executives didn't believe the company was hitting enough bull's-eyes on its menu.

"One of the reasons for seeking out an experienced talent like Kurt was the fact that we weren't overly proud of our menu, to be quite candid," says Hankins' boss, chief marketing officer John Cywinski.

Hankins joined the company in 2001, leaving his job as vice president of food and beverage for Red Lobster. Upgrading the menu with such offerings as Honey Grilled Salmon and Honey BBQ Baby Back ribs has been no easy task. Hankins and his team have to keep a keen grasp not only on consumer trends but also on such constraints as costs, price points and quick preparation times.

"My philosophy on food is accessible innovation because I think we can all innovate for our own amusement," Hankins says. "We can do things that I think we and our peer group would think would be really cool, but at the end of the day it's got to be something that people will actually try to eat. Innovation is no benefit if you can't get trial. You've got to be smart about who your audience is."

In addition, roughly 75 percent of Applebee's system is franchised. As a result, Hankins must work to please not only a broad number of palates but also a diverse group of operators.

"It's not to say we don't have disagreements about what should be out there or not, but it is a pretty collaborative relationship and we have mutual respect for what we're trying to do here," Hankins says.

Hankins' diverse skill set has enabled him to excel at his job's wide-ranging demands, Cywinski says.

"What I think is most unique about him is the fact that, for me, first and foremost, he's a business partner with outstanding consumer instincts," Cywinski says. "He also happens to be a terrific chef with great culinary skills. He has surrounded himself with an outstanding team as well."

One of the chain's largest initiatives has been a partnership with Weight Watchers to meet consumer demand for more healthful fare. That lineup of 10 menu items, which includes Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa, was introduced in May 2004. The menu, which overall is matching its performance in test markets, according to Cywinski, continues to evolve, with additions that include its first beef entry, Teriyaki Steak & Shrimp Skewers.

In late April Applebee's introduced one of its most substantial menu additions to date under Hankins' leadership: a line of about four entrées, which is an extension of the trend of Asian-inspired fare served in bowls. The offerings, which are priced from $8.99 to $10.99, include the Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl, a new incarnation of a pre-existing item.

Hankins says the lineup likely will be a platform for similar items.

"We think they offer a lot of value and abundance," he says.

So where does Hankins see himself and Applebee's down the road? The answer lies in ice hockey.