Prime Hospitality Group has appointed Stacy Hiquet as its first Chief People Officer, signaling a deliberate shift toward building centralized human-capital infrastructure as the Indianapolis-based hospitality operator pushes further into multi-state restaurant and hotel markets.
PHG's portfolio currently spans 13 Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise locations across the Midwest and Southeast, Marriott-branded hotel properties, and a pipeline that includes Hilton-flagged assets. The company also develops proprietary hospitality concepts — The Exchange, Brasserie 23, and Un Deux Trois Café — adding organizational complexity that a dedicated people-strategy function is designed to manage.
The Hire
Hiquet most recently served as Vice President of Human Resources and Talent Development at DuraMark Technologies, where she led workforce development and culture initiatives. She also carries hands-on experience with the Entrepreneurial Operating System, a structured leadership framework centered on team accountability and communication that is increasingly common among privately held, growth-stage operators in the foodservice and hospitality sector.
Kristy Rans, President of Prime Hospitality Group, framed the appointment as foundational rather than reactive. "As PHG continues to grow, investing in our people and building the right leadership infrastructure is essential to our long-term success," Rans said. "Her leadership will help ensure our people and Core Values remain at the center of where PHG is going next."
Why It Matters
For multi-concept hospitality operators, the decision to seat a people officer at the C-suite level typically precedes — or accompanies — a step-change in unit count or brand complexity. PHG's combination of a legacy steakhouse franchise, branded hotel management agreements, and proprietary F&B concepts creates distinct talent pipelines that benefit from unified oversight. Ruth's Chris, a fine-dining brand owned by Darden Restaurants, has historically required franchisees to meet rigorous staffing and service standards, making talent retention a direct driver of brand compliance and top-line performance.
Labor cost and workforce stability remain the most acute pressure points across the restaurant and hotel sectors. The National Restaurant Association's 2025 State of the Industry report projected that turnover costs in full-service dining continue to suppress margins, reinforcing the case for operators to professionalize their HR functions. PHG's move mirrors a broader trend covered by Food & Beverage Magazine in which growth-stage, family-owned hospitality groups are increasingly layering in enterprise-grade leadership structures as they compete for talent against larger chains.
What's Next
Hiquet's mandate covers HR strategy, talent development, and organizational culture across PHG's full portfolio. The company has not disclosed a specific unit-growth target or timeline, but the pending addition of Hilton-flagged properties to its hotel roster suggests near-term expansion is already in progress. How quickly PHG can standardize talent pipelines and onboarding across its restaurant and hotel operations will likely determine how cleanly the next growth phase scales.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
