Former BJ’s Restaurants CEO to guide disciplined, multi-market growth as founder Aaron Noveshen transitions to chairman

San Francisco, CA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Starbird today announced the appointment of Greg Levin as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, effective immediately. Levin will lead the company’s next phase of national expansion, bringing a guest-first leadership mindset, a proven record of scaling premium restaurant brands and deep experience building disciplined, high-performing restaurant concepts and operating systems.

As part of the transition, Starbird founder, Aaron Noveshen, will move fully into the role of Chairman of the Board. In this capacity, he will continue stewarding the brand’s long-term vision and values at the board level, ensuring continuity as the company scales.

Levin joins Starbird following a distinguished career at BJ’s Restaurants, where he spent nearly two decades in senior leadership roles, including chief financial officer, president, and chief executive officer. During his tenure, he helped shape the company’s operating model, leadership culture, and financial foundation, supporting its growth from 45 restaurants to more than 200 locations across 31 states and from approximately $140 million to $1.4 billion in annual revenue.

“Having a leader with hands-on experience growing a premium restaurant brand nationwide brings real confidence to our franchise partners, investors and operators, and reinforces Starbird’s commitment to thoughtful leadership, strong execution, and sustainable growth,” said Noveshen. “With Greg at the helm, I’m even more excited to bring our Positively Delicious Chicken to more communities as we continue to establish Starbird as the leader of the super-premium chicken category.”

Levin’s appointment strengthens Starbird’s leadership team at a pivotal moment as the brand moves beyond its California-first growth strategy and accelerates nationwide expansion.

“As Starbird expands nationally, my focus is on building upon our strong, values-driven culture and strengthening execution and guest hospitality at every level,” said Levin. “That foundation, paired with disciplined decision-making, enables sustainable long-term growth for the Starbird brand.”

With the continued partnership of Dollarhyde Investment Group and the backing of KarpReilly, a leading consumer-focused investment firm, Starbird is well positioned to accelerate franchise development and expansion – grounded in its founding vision and supported by a leadership team built for scale.

To learn more about the brand and/or franchising with Starbird, please visit StarbirdChicken.com and StarbirdFranchising.com, email franchising@starbirdchicken.com or contact 866-327-4779.

About Starbird

Founded in San Francisco in 2016, Starbird is a super-premium fast food brand serving Positively Delicious Chicken^® through a modern, thoughtfully designed dining experience that blends hospitality, culinary craft, and smart use of technology.  The brand’s menu features signature crispy chicken across tenders, wings, sandwiches, and salads – made with bold flavors, high-quality ingredients and a focus on consistency and execution.

Starbird was founded by restaurant entrepreneur Aaron Noveshen through his firm, The Culinary Edge, with a vision to bring higher quality food and thoughtful hospitality to quick-service dining. Built upon pillars of culinary innovation, a frictionless service model, and operational excellence, Starbird has established a differentiated position within the $34 billion U.S. chicken category. Today, the brand operates 19 locations and continues to expand into new communities.

Starbird’s fresh, chef-driven approach has earned widespread industry recognition, including being named Nation’s Restaurant News’ Chicken Showdown winner in 2023, appearing on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers for nine consecutive years (ranking #7 in 2025), and landing on Restaurant Business/Technomic’s Future 50 list. Starbird has also been featured in Food & Wine’s “Top 10 Airports for Food and Drink.”

For more information, go to StarbirdChicken.com, or follow the brand on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.

About Aaron Noveshen

Aaron Noveshen is a celebrated innovator in the restaurant industry, recognized for his work as Founder of The Culinary Edge and as Founder of Starbird. With a background in culinary consulting, product development, and brand creation, Aaron launched Starbird in 2016 to redefine fast food with a focus on flavor, quality, and a frictionless guest experience. As Chairman, Aaron remains a key architect of the brand’s vision and future.

About Dollarhyde Investment Group

Greg Dollarhyde is a respected investor and restaurant industry leader known for his role in scaling fast-casual and emerging brands. A longtime supporter of Starbird, Dollarhyde brings strategic insight and deep industry experience to his role as a board member and lead investor.

About KarpReilly

KarpReilly, a private investment firm specializing in growing consumer brands, is a key financial partner to Starbird. Known for backing high-potential restaurant and retail concepts, KarpReilly supports Starbird’s mission of redefining premium fast food through thoughtful investment and strategic guidance.

Contact:
Paul Donahie
Champion
pdonahie@championmgt.com