Kelly Saxton
President, Founder

Kelly Saxton is the President, Founder, and driving force behind 25 years of success at Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corporation. His daily role focuses on the financial well being of the company and fostering strong relationships with SPRC’s banking partners. He also has spearheaded several years’ worth of mergers and acquisitions to grow the company, most recently working to incorporate 5 Dallas Ft. Worth area McAlister’s Deli restaurants into the SPRC fold.

Kelly has spent his entire career building Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corporation into a powerhouse poised for growth and expansion. However, he’s quick to share the credit for success with frontline employees, store managers and corporate managers. In fact, helping those people develop to be as good as they can be is the most fulfilling part of his job.

“So many companies hire bright, talented people and proceed to tell them not to think,” Saxton says. “We say, ‘show us what you can do.’ We build our reputation and gain respect by out-operating the competition. It’s made possible only with good people.”

Saxton has spent his entire career in restaurants because it’s one business that has it all: products, services, finance, real estate, marketing and more. In everything, he seeks to have a positive impact on those with whom he works or does business.

He started simply enough. After graduating from college at Missouri Southern University where he was a business major and All-American scholarship football player, Saxton moved to Mississippi with his wife and young son to operate one Mazzio’s Pizza restaurant. From that initial location, Saxton eventually developed or acquired over 50 Mazzio’s Pizza locations before selling the Mazzio’s operation in 2000 to focus solely on the expansion of McAlister’s Deli.

He sums it up simply enough: “SPRC is in it for the long haul. We don’t go in trying to make deals then immediately try to get out of them. We don’t seek short-term profits from long-term investments. We keep our word. When things are going well, and when they aren’t, we’re here to answer for our actions.”

Saxton lives in Dallas with his wife of 27 years Vicky. When not working, Kelly enjoys aviation, collecting wine, sport fishing, exercise, and spending time with his wife and sons.

Kirk Lanier
VP of Operations

Kirk Lanier came on board in 1998, when Kelly Saxton selected the quick casual concept McAlister's Deli as a growth vehicle for SPRC. Lanier had been a general manager for the seventh location in the McAlister's chain that today includes more than 140 restaurants.

Lanier began his restaurant career in 1990 as a waiter for Red Lobster in Pensacola, Florida. Progressing through the management program he later became a general manager whose restaurant ranked in the top 10 percent for divisional sales and top 5 percent in profitability among 128 locations in the Dallas Division. Eager for advancement and the opportunity to be part of a budding chain, Lanier sought out a management opportunity at McAlister's Deli in 1996 after frequenting the first Jackson, MS location as a customer.

His ground-floor experience with the McAlister's concept, team-building skills and proven operational success made Lanier the right leader for SPRC's growth arm. “This is not an easy business and we don’t settle for average. We expect to be the best and we expect to have fun while doing it.”, says Lanier. Since joining the SPRC team, he has successfully built a management team capable of top notch financial performance, rapid expansion and customer focused restaurants.

From July of 2002 and May of 2004 Lanier spearheaded 11 restaurant openings and future plans for Saxton Pierce include developing 4 to 5 restaurants a year through 2012. He is quick to share the recognition, “You don’t grow at this pace and have this kind of success by yourself. We have restaurants operated by dedicated and committed people that care about our customers and care about Saxton Pierce.”

Adam Gene Saxton
Director of Development

Adam brings literally a lifetime of experience to the restaurant business. As Kelly Saxton’s oldest son, Adam learned the restaurant business early on through his father’s belief that his children should be exposed the business. When he was 15, he began working in his hometown Mazzio’s Pizza restaurant – doing everything from making pizza and serving customers to cleaning the bathrooms.
Upon graduating from high school, Adam moved to Texas to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he was awarded the SMU Leadership Scholarship. After receiving a B.A. in International Studies and Political Science from SMU, he joined the corporate staff at Saxton Pierce, employing his strong analytical skills by focusing primarily on the real estate side of the restaurant business.

Today, he is in charge of finding new restaurant sites, helping oversee the construction of the restaurants, and developing long term plans for SPRC’s growth. He works closely with attorneys to negotiate leases and also works with lenders to help finance business growth. He develops the company’s long term strategic real estate plan. Additionally, he aids in the development of McAlister’s anchored retail shopping centers. “I love the real estate business because it changes every day. I am constantly looking for ways to grow Saxton Pierce and the McAlister’s brand.”

Matt Saxton
Director of Corporate Projects

Matthew Saxton also learned the restaurant industry from a young age, growing up watching his father build Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corporation into a multi-unit success and working in the chain of restaurants has a teenager and young adult.

Matthew enjoys the many facets of the restaurant industry and feels especially close to the operations side of the business. He graduated from The University of North Texas with a degree in hospitality management. His college experience allowed him to learn first-hand what it takes to operate restaurants and the many facets of the restaurant business. Upon graduating from college, Matthew spent a year working as a restaurant manager in the Southlake, TX McAlister’s Deli, gaining insights into SPRC from the ground up that proved valuable upon moving the corporate office in 2007.

Matthew is a detail oriented task manager and brings those skills to aid in the development and opening of new SPRC locations. He works closely with vendors, architects, and contractors to make sure new locations fit stringent SPRC standards and are fully equipped with what the customer and management team need coming opening day. He develops budgets, timelines, and coordinates the many moving pieces that go along with building and opening restaurants. Additionally, Matthew lends his skills to the marketing side of the restaurant business.

Phillip Denney
Director of Human Resources & Training

As Director of Human Resources and Training, Phillip Denney provides strategic HR leadership with the oversight, development and implementation of human resources programs, services, initiatives, policies and procedures for recruitment and employment, employee benefit plans, employee relations compensation, training, communications, and legal compliance, fostering a workplace environment consistent with the values of SPRC.

Although Phillip's role encompasses a variety of responsibilities, his passion is mentoring and developing management employees to be successful within the SPRC business model. Responsible for developing and implementing SPRC training programs, Phillip plays an intricate role in teaching new and seasoned managers the details of restaurant operations, cost analysis, financial implications, and employee relations.

Phillip brings a wealth of experience to the Director of Human Resources and Training position. Joining the SPRC team in 2002 as a restaurant manager, Phillip's success is evident by his track record. He has continually been promoted through the ranks, conquering each new challenge with sheer determination, an eagerness to learn and a willingness to “do what it takes”. Experienced in a variety of vocations, from education, to insurance and restaurant ownership, all of his professional experiences significantly contribute to his success in his current position.

One of Phillip's key attributes is his ability to relate to people, assess strengths and weaknesses and mentor toward professional growth. Whether in the field working with restaurant management or at the office with the executive team, Phillip always has an open door and is ready and willing to listen.

A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Phillip holds a Bachelor's in Secondary Science Education.

Michael Bambach
Director of Information Technology

Michael is perhaps the best example of one of SPRC’s guiding philosophies: creating opportunities for the people we employee. Michael showed an interest in the restaurant business early on and has been working in restaurant jobs since his young teens.

At 17, Michael joined the staff at McAlister’s Deli in Waco as a sandwich maker and in less than 18 months became a manager. However, it was his interest in computers that facilitated his growth within the company and eventually led to his current role as Director of Information Technology. Michael provides technical support on a 24/7 basis to all of SPRC’s restaurants, corporate office, and corporate personnel. His job is project oriented and includes developing and maintaining the website, installing computer/phone systems, and writing custom software that aids in restaurant operations.