Mason Joined the Restaurant Franchisor in 2024
Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Huddle House and Perkins American Food Co., has promoted Nicholas Mason from vice president of finance to chief financial officer. Mason’s restaurant franchise experience includes more than 15 years of leadership roles with Papa Johns and Craftwork Holdings.
Mason said his relationship with Perkins goes back to his childhood. “A lot of my family is from the Upper Midwest, so we’d often stop at Perkins on road trips,” he said. “I even remember one time we got caught in a blizzard while driving to visit my grandparents in North Dakota, and the only place open was a Perkins. The experience stuck with me — not just because it was warm and welcoming, but because the people there were genuinely positive in the middle of a miserable situation.”
He said he is excited to drive and implement Ascent’s strategic initiatives. “This company has an immense runway for growth, and I look forward to playing a key role in both identifying opportunities and executing on them effectively. Being part of that process from start to finish is both a challenge and a privilege.”
Ascent CEO James O’Reilly said Mason’s business expertise and ability to align financial strategies with growth objectives make him the ideal person to serve as CFO. “Nicholas has quickly become a trusted leader and strategic partner within our organization,” O’Reilly said.
Mason said he has known O’Reilly and COO Blain Shortreed for years and values their leadership and trust. “I have a lot of respect for them. I am excited to be able to work with them at Ascent.”
A Sharpened Focus
Since joining in 2024, Mason has seen the company make several positive changes, including bringing on talented individuals and sharpening its strategic focus. “We’ve fine-tuned our core pillars and aligned our resources accordingly.”
Mason said a continued focus on supporting franchisees in providing value and quality for consumers is key to Ascent’s ongoing success. “Franchise owners are the backbone of our business and ultimately pay our bills, so it’s critical to ensure their financial viability. The best way to do that is by setting them up to serve the end consumer successfully,” he said. “When you focus on delivering real value and quality, profits naturally follow. It’s about putting the consumer at the center and supporting franchisees so they can succeed. This business isn’t complicated when you focus on what’s best for your customers and your franchise community. Everything else will fall into place.”
In addition to finance, Mason has a background in music. He toured the world with a boys’ choir and majored in music as an undergraduate at Wake Forest University. “Music also played a major role in shaping my analytical mindset, since much of my time was spent focusing on music theory and composition. It’s a very analytical field, so there’s a lot of overlap between those skill sets.”
About Ascent Hospitality Management
Ascent Hospitality Management acquires and invigorates storied brands to drive long-term growth. With nearly 600 locations across the U.S. and Canada, the company’s mission is “Bringing friends and families together over delicious food served from the heart.” Huddle House and Perkins American Food Co. each have more than 60 years of serving made-to-order breakfast and all-day favorites.
