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 invited 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, Kevin Bazner became the president of A&W Restaurants, during a corporate restructuring. [2] He was also 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]
Bazner attended both Oakland Community College and the University of Michigan. [2]
Bazner married Dawn, a British woman, and had two children, Elizabeth and David. [1] While held hostage in Iraq, his son David had a hernial condition. [5]