Advisory Board Member
Mr. Hite is currently Co-Founder and CEO of Strategic Advisory Partners. Strategic Advisory Partners provides strategic planning, franchise operations and financial advisory services to emerging brands by leveraging over 30+ years of operations, franchising and senior management experience.
Prior to forming Strategic Advisory Partners, Mr. Hite was Managing Partner and a founder of Weichmann-Hite Partners where they completed over 50 transactions and advisories. Mr. Hite held CEO, President, and COO positions with regional and national chain restaurant companies where he has been responsibility for 894 restaurants and over $500 million in sales. His experience includes at a CEO or COO level, QSR, Quick Casual, Family Dine, Casual Dine, and Fine Dine. He has been both a franchisor and franchisee domestically and on the international stage. Mr. Hite was part of the senior management team that turned Sonic around and lead it to 22 successive quarters of double digit same store sales growth. He was a partner in the subsequent leveraged buyout of Sonic. Mr. Hite's international experience includes a tour as Group Director of Development for a Middle Eastern company where he developed and wrote strategic plans for five franchise brands encompassing all GCC countries, Egypt and North Africa. Mr. Hite began his career with the parent company of Holiday Inns where he rose to district food and beverage director by the age of 23.
Mr. Hite served both as an advisor and a guest lecturer for the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration at Oklahoma State University. He was selected as an Outstanding Young Man in America, served on the advisory board of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and was founding president of the Food Bank in his home town of Enid, Oklahoma. Mr. Hite has been married to the former Karol Kennedy for 27+ years. They have one son, a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University who is now with Merrill Lynch.
Mr. Hite is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a BS in Hotel and Restaurant Administration.