Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf named John Fuller, former president and chief executive of Johnny Rockets Group Inc., its new chief executive on Thursday.

Fuller, who held the top post at the burger chain for five years and previously served as its chief financial officer, left the company in February.

“The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is such an iconic brand in Southern California and all over the world,” Fuller said. “I’m thrilled to be a part of its future, ongoing growth and expansion and innovative culture.”

Fuller is the third chief executive for the company in the last two years. He replaces John Dawson, who took over in 2013 as president and chief executive, replacing Mel Elias, who served in those roles for five years. Elias moved to the board with the change.

Dawson, who left the company in April and is now an “independent adviser” to retailers, stepped in in the wake of the September 2013 purchase of a “significant” stake in the Los Angeles company by a consortium of private equity investors. Boston’s Advent International, CDIB of Hong Kong and Mirae Asset Private Equity in Seoul acquired the stake for an undisclosed amount.

Coffee Bean, which started with a single Brentwood store in 1963, is in nearly 30 countries worldwide. It opened stores in Japan last May and recently announced it planned to open 700 stores in China over the next decade.