David Blackburn brings forty-five years of experience in the restaurant industry, most notably as the CEO of Southern Rock Restaurants, LLC, headquartered in Franklin, TN. Southern Rock Restaurants is an award-winning restaurant holding company operating nearly 150 restaurants as a licensed franchisee of McAlister’s Deli® in 12 states. Additionally, Blackburn serves as CEO of its companion company’s: Southern Rock Restaurants SuperHoldco, LLC and COMPEL4, LLC, a restaurant franchise accounting firm with Financial Preparation for Profit Optimization.

Since becoming a member of the McAlister’s Deli Franchise community in 2011, Blackburn has served 12 years on the Franchise Advisory Board while also acting as Co-Chair of the Operations Culinary committee for product and execution development and on the Brand Strategy committee. The continued commitment has led to multiple recognition for Blackburn and Southern Rock Restaurants including International Franchise Association Franchisee of the year, MUFC Single Brand Leadership MVP Award and most recently, the recipient of the 2022 Franchisee of the year and the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from Focus Brands.

With a humble beginning as a busboy at a local Bonanza Restaurant forging his first lifelong restaurant friendship with his General Manager. Strong relationships like this have become the foundation throughout his career in the restaurant industry as well now in private equity, banking, accounting and speaking engagements. As a born and raised Nashvillian, Blackburn found his way through local concepts fast tracking to multi-unit management and ultimately to O’Charley’s Restaurants, Inc. Serving 15 of the 16 years as Vice President of Operations and of Business Development throughout the heyday of the 90’s and early 2000’s with over $200 MM in revenue, 5,600 employees and 350 managers. During this time leading not only in sales increases and profit improvement but in people development and key learning that can perpetuate systems and best practices that contributed to a winning streak of 44 quarters of same store sales increases and 3 stock splits for its stakeholders.

From 2006 till the creation of Southern Rock Restaurants, LLC in 2011, Blackburn served as CEO for an upscale Italian and steak concept and consultant leading a successful turnaround effort for a regional “roadhouse”. Throughout his career, he has served as a philanthropist and Chairperson for the first Diversity Council for a publicly held restaurant company, Board of Directors for the DeDe Wallace Society benefiting Centerstone, the nation’s largest nonprofit mental health provider. And ultimately serving on the board of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee serving the disenfranchised in the community alongside the beloved Nashville businessman and friend Sam Howard.

His message to those that have served, continue to serve and support his endeavors, is to lead with a Relentless Pursuit, to be Effective and Efficient with Purpose and Methods so that the next generation of Restaurant Leaders can Motivate Compel and Inspire their guests and the teams that serve them. HAVE FUN – NO REGRETS!