Joe Kerby

About

Executive leader and former CEO with experience in multi-site operations scaling, P&L ownership, and building high-performing teams in service-oriented businesses. Proven track record of driving profitability, process standardization, and strategic growth across restaurants, media, and logistics operations.

Experience

• Publisher & CEO
  Austin Lifestyle Magazine
  2020 – Present

  Founded and led a luxury lifestyle media company, building high-value client relationships, strategic plans, and cross-functional teams to support revenue growth and operational excellence. • Developed and executed strategic growth plans that combined content quality, community engagement, and targeted sales strategies, generating $4.4M+ in long-term contract value while protecting client relationships and brand standards. • Built and led cross-functional teams (editors, designers, sales, photography) with clear alignment around quality deliverables, client outcomes, and measurable results — fostering accountability and high performance. • Managed complex client campaigns and multi-year contracts through proactive relationship oversight, ensuring consistent execution and long-term retention.

• Founder & CEO
  Alpaca Market LLC
  2016 – 2020

  Built and scaled a multi-location food, software, and logistics business from startup to 35+ sites, driving 500% YoY growth through operational systems, team development, and cross-functional execution. • Led end-to-end scaling of operations across multiple grab-and-go locations, including food production, delivery logistics, and custom software systems designed to reduce waste, optimize freshness, and improve service consistency. • Hired and developed a full leadership team (Director of Operations, Executive Chef, Sales & Marketing Director, Customer Experience Lead) and aligned them around shared KPIs, communication rhythms, and growth targets — adding 35 new locations in two years. • Designed and executed strategic growth plans with clear operational milestones, balancing rapid expansion with quality, efficiency, and client satisfaction across B2B and B2C channels. • Implemented process improvements and technology solutions that created repeatable, scalable systems — directly supporting margin protection and service quality during hyper-growth.

• Restaurant Technology Lead
  McDonald's National Restaurant Technology Team (Houston Region – 700 restaurants)
  2012 – 2016

  • Identified emerging technologies, developed rollout plans, training programs, and troubleshooting processes to drive system- wide adoption and operational improvement across a large multi-unit footprint.

• Owner & Operator
  JBK's McDonald's (5 Restaurants)
  2008 – 2017

  Owned and operated a five-unit quick-service restaurant group, consistently delivering top 1% national profitability while building scalable operational excellence and leadership depth. • Owned full P&L responsibility across five locations; consistently ranked in the top 1% nationally for profitability through rigorous cost control, labor efficiency, revenue growth, and operational discipline. • Built and developed a complete leadership pipeline from Director of Operations through Restaurant Managers, empowering teams to independently achieve and sustain high performance on KPIs for profit, service, quality, safety, and sales. • Delivered the highest service and operational metrics in the Austin-area McDonald's co-op by implementing clear performance standards, accountability systems, and continuous improvement processes. • Hired, trained, and aligned multi-unit teams around data-driven targets, creating a culture of ownership and results that supported consistent outperformance.

• Operations Supervisor
  JC's McDonald's (18 Restaurants)
  2005 – 2008

  • Developed and executed multi-site operations strategy for 18 restaurants, including hiring guidelines, P&L controls, KPI frameworks, and performance targets for profit, service, quality, safety, and sales growth.

Education

• International Business
  Northlake College
  International Business · 1997 – 2000

Skills

• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Change Management
• Operations Management
• Cost Control
• Client Relationship Management
• Strategic Planning
• Team Leadership
• Process Standardization
• Talent development
• P&L Ownership
• KPI Management
• Multi-site Operations

🗣️ Languages

• English · Fluent
• Spanish · Professional

⚽ Extracurricular activities

• Franchisee Chairman, Board of Directors

  Led strategic planning, fiduciary oversight, and community initiatives for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.

• Chairman, Board of Directors

  Provided full board leadership including CEO oversight, policy setting, strategy, and community representation for Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce.

• Advertising/PR Committee Chair

  Provided strategic leadership for marketing and agency decisions across 700 restaurants for McDonald's USA.