Meet the Nerd.

Derek Kirk - The Restaurant Nerd

Derek Kirk

With over two decades of experience, I am a seasoned restaurant marketing and branding executive who has built and led marketing strategies for some of the most recognized names in the restaurant industry.

My career has taken me from Darden Restaurants to franchise systems to virtual restaurant brands to Nashville’s independent restaurant scene. Along the way, I’ve managed multi-million dollar budgets, built marketing departments from scratch, launched delivery programs that transformed revenue, and turned around brands with years of declining sales.

I earned my MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and my BBA from North Carolina Central University. That combination of rigorous business training and real-world restaurant experience is the foundation of everything I do.

I started The Restaurant Nerd because too many great restaurants are struggling with marketing — not because they lack talent or passion, but because they lack the strategic marketing leadership that the big brands take for granted. I’m here to change that.

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Built for This

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Wharton MBA

Entrepreneurial Management & Marketing from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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20+ Years in Restaurants

VP-level marketing leadership across multiple restaurant brands and business models

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Nashville Based

Serving restaurants nationally from one of America’s fastest-growing food cities

Ready to Talk?

I'd love to hear about your restaurant and where you want to take it.

Book a Free Consultation →