Top Franchise Leaders: José Cil, CEO of Restaurant Brands International

José Cil, a proud Miami native and the son of Cuban immigrants, has been an instrumental part of the success Popeyes has seen in recent years. 

After working his way up the industry ladder, Cil became the Chief Executive Officer of Popeyes’ parent company, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), in 2019. RBI was created when Burger King bought Tim Hortons in 2014, acquiring Popeyes three years later. 

The CEO is a graduate of Tulane University and started off his career practicing law after earning a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In 2000, he learned that Burger King was in the market for an in-house counsel. He went on to spend three years as an attorney at the company before moving to the operations side. 

Starting in December 2014, Cil served as President of Burger King. He has also held positions as Executive Vice President and President of Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Burger King Worldwide from November 2010 until December 2014. 

Earlier in his career, Cil was Vice President and Regional General Manager for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Florida. He was also formerly on the board of directors for Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., Burger King’s largest franchisee, and was Co-Chairman of the Burger King McLamore Foundation.

In Cil’s first year as CEO of Popeyes, the brand introduced its famous chicken sandwich. The new item became so popular that the restaurant ran out of supplies within the first two weeks and had to be pulled from menus temporarily. During the hiatus, the chain sourced more ingredients, added more staff and successfully reintroduced the sandwich that November. 

The launch resulted in the single strongest same-store sales quarter for a single chain in recent industry history. Dozens of other fast-food brands followed suit by introducing their own versions of the upgraded chicken sandwich. This led to what was dubbed the “chicken sandwich wars.” 

This period also changed the game for Popeyes by bringing more solo diners to its drive-thru. The chain was previously reliant on larger family orders for the majority of its sales. Cil has noted that the chicken sandwich drove a massive volume increase for the franchise.

Another of RBI’s most noteworthy accomplishments under Cil has been its international growth efforts with Burger King. Using a combination of unique joint venture partnerships with master franchisees in different markets, the company was able to speed up growth outside of the United States. 

This is a strategy RBI continues to use with Popeyes and Tim Hortons, with Cil noting that there is plenty of opportunity for growth in both brands. 

In 2021, Cil was awarded Restaurant Leader of the Year by Restaurant Business Magazine, being recognized for his collaborative leadership style and vision to drive growth for RBI brands in the United States and worldwide. He was also named a South Florida Ultimate CEO honoree by the South Florida Business Journal during the same year. 

Cil is a known leader in the South Florida community. He is involved in organizations that promote the economic development of the state, serving as a Council Member on the Florida Council of 100 and as a Board Member of Enterprise Florida.