CERRITOS, Calif., June  03, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (&#34;GEN&#34; or the &#34;Company&#34;) (NASDAQ:GENK), owner and operator of GEN Korean BBQ, today announced the appointment of Luke A. Hewko, CPA, as

GENK

GEN Restaurant Group Appoints Luke A. Hewko as Chief Financial Officer to Accelerate CPG and Multi-Channel Growth

GENK appoints Luke Hewko CFO to drive multi-channel growth and CPG expansion

<section class="insight" data-version="1">
  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>CERRITOS, Calif., June  03, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (&amp;#34;GEN&amp;#34; or the &amp;#34;Company&amp;#34;) (NASDAQ:GENK), owner and operator of GEN Korean BBQ, today announced the appointment of Luke A. Hewko, CPA, as</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>GEN Restaurant Group (GENK) named Luke A. Hewko as CFO, effective June 1, 2026, succeeding retiring Thomas Croal. Hewko brings a direct-to-consumer and multi-channel growth background, including a $100 million+ annual revenue platform and prior experience scaling finance functions. The move aligns with GEN’s push into CPG, retail, and online channels, and signals capacity-building investments ahead of broader growth.</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>GENK appoints Luke A. Hewko as CFO, effective June 1, 2026.</li><li>Hewko succeeds retiring Thomas Croal in a planned leadership transition.</li><li>GEN expands beyond dining into CPG, retail, and online channels.</li><li>Hewko’s background includes D2C growth and margin discipline.</li><li>GEN plans to hire more executives to scale its CPG unit.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (GENK)</strong>: Subject of the press release; CFO appointment and multi-channel growth strategy.</li><li><strong>Westcliff Technologies, Inc. (N/A)</strong>: Hewko previously CFO; background in margin expansion and GAAP reporting.</li><li><strong>Haas Automation, Inc. (N/A)</strong>: Hewko’s early work included building an e-commerce and finance backbone.</li><li><strong>Bitcoin Depot Inc. (N/A)</strong>: Referenced regarding a prior asset sale that informed Hewko’s deal experience.</li><li><strong>Ernst &amp; Young LLP (N/A)</strong>: Hewko’s early career employer; background in professional services.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>Category: Corporate Developments. The leadership change aligns with GEN’s strategic shift to multi-channel growth and a stronger financial backbone for its CPG initiatives.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>CFO appointment may boost governance perception and near-term investor confidence.</li><li>Planned CPG and online expansion could unlock additional revenue streams.</li><li>Emphasis on margin visibility and inventory controls may improve unit economics.</li><li>Leadership buildout suggests longer-term execution risk is being addressed.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Effective date of CFO appointment: June 1, 2026.</li><li>GENK ticker: GENK, traded on NASDAQ.</li><li>Luke A. Hewko previously served as CFO of Westcliff Technologies, Inc.</li><li>Hewko built a D2C business to more than $100 million in annual revenue.</li><li>Hewko holds MS and BS in Accounting from Pepperdine; CPA licensed in California.</li><li>GEN plans to hire additional executives to lead and scale its CPG division.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Over the next 6-12 months, GENK could gain from improved financial discipline and multi-channel expansion, potentially supporting valuation upside.</p>
  </section>
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p>CERRITOS, Calif., June  03, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. ("GEN" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GENK">GENK</a>), owner and operator of GEN Korean BBQ, today announced the appointment of Luke A. Hewko, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer, effective June 1, 2026. Mr. Hewko succeeds Thomas V. Croal, who is retiring following a planned CFO succession process.</p>  <p>"This was a planned leadership transition, and we are grateful to Tom for his service, leadership, and partnership," said David Kim, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GEN. "Luke is exactly the finance leader we wanted for GEN's next chapter. He built a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business from the ground up into the foundation for a platform that grew to more than $100 million in annual revenue, then built a finance organization and led it through a successful sale to a Nasdaq-listed buyer. His consumer scale-up experience is precisely what we need as we expand GEN's opportunity across retail and online channels."</p>  <p>Mr. Hewko joins at a pivotal moment. As GEN extends its brand beyond the dining room into consumer packaged goods, retail, and online commerce, his appointment brings the finance leadership the Company needs to build the systems, reporting, inventory controls, and margin visibility that scalable, multi-channel growth requires. As part of this next chapter, GEN expects to continue building out its leadership team, including hiring additional executives to lead and scale its consumer packaged goods (CPG) division.</p>  <p>Mr. Hewko most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Westcliff Technologies, Inc., where he built the finance function from inception into a platform with five completed GAAP audits and led the company through the sale of its assets to Bitcoin Depot Inc. He expanded operating margins through cost discipline and operational improvements, while overseeing financial reporting, treasury, tax, strategic finance, and investor communications.</p>  <p>That experience traces back to Haas Automation, Inc., where he created the company's e-commerce business and its financial and operational backbone. He led cross-functional buildout across finance, operations, and systems, designed an ASC 606-compliant revenue recognition framework, architected the general ledger and reporting, and stood up scalable infrastructure across inventory, payments, and tax. It is the same playbook GEN intends to run as it brings products to retail shelves and directly to consumers online.</p>  <p>"GEN is a powerful brand with a clear opportunity to reach guests wherever they are: in our restaurants, on retail shelves, and online," said Mr. Hewko. "Scaling a CPG and direct-to-consumer business comes down to the financial foundation. Revenue recognition, inventory discipline, tax compliance, payment flows, margin analytics, forecasting, and KPI reporting all have to work together. I have built that foundation before, and I am excited to bring that builder's mindset to GEN's next stage of growth."</p>  <p>Mr. Hewko began his career at Ernst &amp; Young LLP. He holds a Master of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, cum laude, from Pepperdine University, and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in California.</p>  <p><strong>About GEN Restaurant Group, Inc.</strong></p>  <p>GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GENK">GENK</a>) owns and operates GEN Korean BBQ, a full-service Korean BBQ dining concept. The Company is focused on delivering a differentiated guest experience across its restaurant platform while pursuing opportunities to extend the GEN brand across consumer packaged goods, retail, and digital channels.</p>  <p><strong>Forward-Looking Statements </strong></p>  <p>This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "intend," "expect", "will," "may", and other similar words or expressions that predict or indicate future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding our strategy, future operations, and growth prospects, including expectations relating to the Company's CPG division, any statements regarding the amount or timing of future revenue or revenue growth, any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, any statements of belief or expectation, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing or other future events. Forward-looking statements are based on current information available at the time the statements are made and on management's reasonable belief or expectations with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from the belief or expectations expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Additional factors or events that could cause actual results to differ may also emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect future events, developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Investors are referred to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are available on the SEC's website at <a href="http://www.sec.gov" title="www.sec.gov">www.sec.gov</a>, for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.</p>  <p align="left">Investor Relations Contact:</p>  <p align="left">Luke A. Hewko<br></br>1-562-356-9929<br></br><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=wrGEVvn3MW1X8Znv7r1FTM0krI1bLOi9BT3AV9p9D0o9iA4SL6qTYD6GgCKzjoMMUok6PhUoHK6gNzglF0rfbXApESA2ZkXaKRM2nKLUMQmuRJQNaEUmAJfRbeQPtQgn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">investor@genbbqoffice.com</a></p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTczMTA2NSM3NjM0Mjc5IzIyMzM2Mzk="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/NzRmY2VmNmYtNWQ2NC00MmJmLTg1NGEtM2NlNzlkM2FkZDdjLTEyNDUxOTItMjAyNi0wNi0wMy1lbg==/tiny/GEN-Restaurant-Group-Inc-.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><p><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59c008d3-0bfc-4bb0-a03e-5df58e951aa9"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/59c008d3-0bfc-4bb0-a03e-5df58e951aa9/small/gen-logo-01-1-png.png" border="0" width="150" height="150" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a></p>

GEN Restaurant Group (GENK) named Luke A. Hewko as CFO, effective June 1, 2026, succeeding retiring Thomas Croal. Hewko brings a direct-to-consumer and multi-channel growth background, including a $100 million+ annual revenue platform and prior experience scaling finance functions. The move aligns with GEN’s push into CPG, retail, and online channels, and signals capacity-building investments ahead of broader growth.

GEN Restaurant Group Appoints Luke A. Hewko as Chief Financial Officer to Accelerate CPG and Multi-Channel Growth

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

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