Kevin Bazner
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Kevin Bazner (born 1955) is an American businessman, working in the restaurant sector since 1970. Since 1985, he has worked at A&W Restaurants, first by assisting in its international operations, then acting as CEO from 1999 to 2025.
Bazner was born in 1955.[1]
In 1970, he started working at a kitchen restaurant. Over time, he became the director of Canadian operations of Magic Pan Restaurants. He was appointed president of the international branch of A&W Restaurants in 1985;[2] by 1990, he was living in Kuala Lumpur,[1] capital of Malaysia, where A&W has a strong presence.[3]
On August 2, 1990, after being in the United States with his family for a month, he was held hostage in Kuwait on the day Iraq invaded the country. He was aboard a plane bound for Malaysia, which was refueling.[1] He was taken to the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad during this period.[4] He appeared in footage taken by Iraqi television at the end of the month.[5] He was released in December.[3]
In July 1999, Bazner became the president of A&W Restaurants during a corporate restructuring.[2] He had a key role in the acquisition of the chain by A Great American Brand, LLC, alongside franchises in Asia and Dale Mulder, which took over A&W at the end of 2011.[6]
On March 4, 2025, Bazner changed his role at A&W by becoming a chairman, when Betsy Schmandt took over as CEO.[7]