Columbus, Ohio, United States, April 2026 — Melanie Barichivich has stepped into the role of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at City Barbeque, bringing more than 25 years of extensive restaurant, hospitality, and brand-building expertise to the fast-growing barbeque brand. In her new role, Melanie will lead brand strategy, marketing innovation, guest engagement, and long-term growth initiatives as City Barbeque continues expanding across the Midwest and Southeast.
Prior to joining City Barbeque, Melanie founded BARBEAU Marketing, where she served as Principal and Owner, advising organizations on strategic growth, brand evolution, team alignment, and measurable business performance. Her entrepreneurial venture followed a distinguished leadership career across major restaurant and hospitality brands.
Most recently, Melanie served as SVP, Head of Marketing & Strategic Initiatives at Corner Bakery, where she played a pivotal role in revitalizing the brand post-bankruptcy, delivering double-digit year-over-year sales growth, modernizing digital infrastructure, and strengthening customer trust through strategic marketing and innovation. She also held the role of Senior Vice President Marketing at SSCP Management, Inc., overseeing marketing across a broad multi-brand restaurant portfolio including Applebee’s, Sonic Drive-In, and Corner Bakery.
Earlier in her career, Melanie held senior marketing leadership roles at Sun Holdings, Inc., RMH Franchise Corporation, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, AmRest, World 50, Inc., Textron Financial, and Pizza Hut, where she built deep expertise in restaurant brand strategy, digital transformation, guest acquisition, sales growth, and operational marketing across national and regional platforms. Her broad industry experience positions her as a highly accomplished leader in restaurant and consumer brand marketing.
About City Barbeque
Founded in 1999, City Barbeque is a leading fast-casual barbeque brand known for authentic, competition-quality barbeque, slow-smoked over local hickory wood and complemented by scratch-made sides and desserts. With nearly 100 locations across the Midwest and Southeast, City Barbeque has earned national recognition for its culinary excellence while remaining deeply committed to community giving, hospitality, and creating memorable guest experiences.
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