US-based casual dining restaurant chain P F Chang's has appointed Rohit Manocha as the company's interim CEO, replacing Damola Adamolekun, who will step down from his CEO role effective 1 August 2023.

Rohit Manocha has been a shareholder representative and board member of P F Chang's since 2019.

The company stated that alongside serving as interim CEO, Manocha will also work with an independent recruitment firm to conduct a search for Damola Adamolekuna's successor.

Adamolekun said: “I'm immensely proud of all that we've accomplished to elevate the customer experience, to build out the company's technology infrastructure to enable a robust takeout and delivery business and to expand our international footprint.

“It's been an honour to lead P F Chang's and I wholeheartedly believe the strong team we have in place will continue to drive success in the future.”

Rohit Manocha has experience in the restaurant, retail and investment sectors. He co-founded private investment firm TriArtisan Capital Advisors and served as TGI Fridays’ chairman.

He has also been a board member of Dover Saddlery and Mears Transportation.

Manocha said: “The P F Chang's brand and restaurant network are in a great position and I look forward to working closely with our talented team to build on our momentum, drive increased traffic and transition the company to its next world-class leader. Most importantly, we will continue to make our customers' lives better through iconic, authentic food and joyful hospitality.”

P F Chang's is owned by TriArtisan Capital Advisors and Paulson & Co. They acquired the restaurant group from Centerbridge Partners in March 2019.

After the acquisition, the companies claimed to have invested $200m to open more than ten bistros and two flagships to revitalise the existing fleet and upgrade the restaurant's existing menu and in-house customer experience.