UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 1, 2026
GEN Restaurant Group, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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Delaware |
001-41727 |
87-3424935 |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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11480 South Street, Suite 205
Cerritos, CA |
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90703 |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
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(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (562) 356-9929
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of each class |
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Trading Symbol(s) |
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Name of each exchange on which registered |
Class A Common stock, par value $0.001 per share |
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GENK |
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The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (The Nasdaq Global Market) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On June 1, 2026, Thomas V. Croal notified GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (the “Company”) of his decision to retire from his position as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer of the Company, effective at the close of business on June 1, 2026. Mr. Croal’s retirement follows discussions with the Company over the past several months regarding his planned transition and the Company’s succession planning for the role. Mr. Croal’s decision to retire is not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices, including any matter relating to the Company’s accounting principles, financial statements, or internal controls.
Following a review of succession options by Mr. Kim and the Board of Directors, on June 1, 2026, the Board appointed Luke A. Hewko as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, effective upon Mr. Croal’s retirement. To support an orderly transition, Mr. Croal shall remain an employee of the Company until June 30, 2026, and following such date, Mr. Croal has agreed to remain available to the Company in a consulting capacity to assist Mr. Hewko following his retirement. No changes have been made to Mr. Croal’s existing compensation, and following his retirement, Mr. Croal is expected to receive compensation of $250 per hour for his provision of any consulting services.
Mr. Hewko, age 33, most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Westcliff Technologies, Inc. from 2021 to November 2025, where he built the finance function from inception through the sale of the company’s assets to Bitcoin Depot Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hewko held finance and operating roles at Haas Automation, Inc. and began his career at Ernst & Young LLP. He holds an M.S. and B.S. in Accounting (cum laude) from Pepperdine University and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in California.
On June 1, 2026, Mr. Hewko entered into an offer letter with the Company (the “Offer Letter”), pursuant to which Mr. Hewko will receive an annual base salary of $300,000 and will be eligible to participate in the Company's standard employee benefit plans. The Offer Letter also provides that a separate agreement regarding stock options will be discussed and drafted at a later date. Mr. Hewko's employment is at-will and subject to a mutual arbitration provision.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Hewko and any other person pursuant to which he was appointed, no family relationships requiring disclosure under Item 401(d) of Regulation S-K, and no transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
The foregoing description of the Offer Letter does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Offer Letter, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this report and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On June 3, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing Mr. Hewko’s appointment and Mr. Croal’s retirement. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.
The information included or incorporated by reference in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed herewith.
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Exhibit Number |
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Description |
10.1 |
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Offer Letter of Luke Hewko, dated June 1, 2026. |
99.1 |
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Press release, dated June 3, 2026, issued by GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. |
104 |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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GEN RESTAURANT GROUP, INC. |
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Date: June 3, 2026 |
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By: |
/s/ Luke A. Hewko |
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Luke A. Hewko |
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Chief Financial Officer |
GEN Restaurant Group Appoints Luke A. Hewko as Chief Financial Officer to Accelerate CPG and Multi-Channel Growth
Planned CFO succession brings a CPA and operator who built a direct-to-consumer business from the ground up and led a fintech platform through its sale to a Nasdaq-listed buyer, positioning GEN’s finance organization for expansion across CPG, retail, and online
CERRITOS, Calif., June 3, 2026: GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (“GEN” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: GENK), 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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
Mr. Hewko began his career at Ernst & 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.
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About GEN Restaurant Group, Inc.
GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: GENK) 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.
Forward-Looking Statements
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 www.sec.gov, for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
