Alexandria Restaurant Partners has named Nazia Millwala president, promoting the group's chief financial officer as its three founding partners exit day-to-day management. Millwala takes over operations, finance, people and culture, marketing, and food and beverage execution for the Northern Virginia and Orlando operator.

Her appointment is part of a planned leadership evolution, not a sudden exit. Partners Dave Nicholas, David Clapp and Scott Shaw are shifting focus away from daily oversight of the group, which owns and operates its concepts across the two markets.

Who is Nazia Millwala?

Millwala joined ARP in January 2022 as vice president of finance. She was promoted to CFO in August 2024. The president role is her third title in under four years.

Her résumé before ARP spans 12 years with Yum! Brands, in leadership roles across finance, marketing and development for KFC and Pizza Hut across Canada, the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey. That work covered franchise development, market expansion and portfolio growth — experience relevant to a multi-market independent operator now looking to grow revenue channels. She began her career at KPMG, holds a commerce degree from the University of Wollongong and an International MBA from IE Business School in Madrid.

"Scott, David and I are incredibly proud of what our team has built, and we believe this is the right time to transition day-to-day leadership to Nazia," co-founder and partner Dave Nicholas said. "She has earned the trust and respect of our team through her thoughtful leadership, broad business perspective and genuine commitment to our people. We look forward to remaining involved and supporting her as she leads ARP forward."

What changes at ARP?

Millwala's first-year agenda is structural: a smooth transition, an expanded executive leadership team and a durable operational framework. Over the next 18 months she plans to develop ARP's next generation of managers, create new employee opportunities and deepen the group's ties in Alexandria and Orlando.

The commercial priorities matter more for the P&L. Her strategy includes growing catering sales channels, strengthening marketing and continuing to evolve the company's concepts and guest experiences — menu and channel engineering rather than expansion for its own sake.

"ARP's greatest strength is the people who bring our restaurants to life every day," Millwala said. "My priority is to give our teams the clarity and support they need to do their best work. We have an incredible opportunity to build on what makes our restaurants special, find new ways to serve our guests and contribute even more to the communities we call home."

Why it matters

A CFO-to-president path signals how mid-sized operator groups are professionalizing management as founders step back. ARP did not disclose revenue, unit count or timeline for any concept changes. The partners remain involved in an advisory capacity, and Millwala's 18-month manager-development plan suggests the group is prioritizing internal bench strength over immediate footprint growth, with catering named as the clearest near-term revenue lever.