The NRN Power List, in its second year in 2015, has become a must-see grouping of the foodservice industry’s most influential players — and a most coveted selection among top executives and up-and-comers alike.
To create the list, NRN uses its own expertise — comprised of our editors booking an aggregate of more than 70 years covering the industry — the sourcing of players from well-trusted industry experts and the scouring of news and future predictions to form a collection of people that have, or will, drive change. The list starts very large and discussion goes very deep to get to the 50 spots.
But we know there is more out there. And we turned to our audience to crowdsource names and faces perhaps poised to make the Power List.
NRN offered nomination forms on NRN.com through the month of December, and we received more than 130 responses, with a total of 92 people submitted for consideration. We went through each nomination, and these Power List “reader picks” are published here in full in alphabetical order.
If there was a “most popular” category, Kevin D’Onofrio, foodservice director, United States Military Academy, West Point; Ken Toong, executive director, auxiliary enterprises at University of Massachusetts-Amherst; and Rick and Elise Wetzel, co-CEOs at Blaze Pizza would win hands down. Each was submitted multiple times by various people.
The Wetzels were included in the NRN Power List, as Blaze Pizza has helped create the growing fast-casual pizza segment, and may be the first to hit a national footprint, with major backers looking to spur growth.
Our readers also nominated Sam Fox, CEO of Fox Restaurant Group and Mario Del Pero, CEO of Mendocino Farms — both of whom made the list. Fox is an entrepreneur building new and relevant brands in the spirit of Richard Melman, and Del Pero’s Mendocino Farms has presented consumers with a special fast-casual offering based on fine food, all while attracting major investors to drive growth.
Cutting names and faces we know well was more difficult this year than last, and readers submitted many of the same people who were on our original list as well. Leaders like Paul Brown, CEO at Arby’s; Kim Lopdrup at the helm of Red Lobster; and Julia Stewart, CEO of DineEquity Inc. were discussed at length. So many were close calls, but we were relentless in our pursuit of those creating major change in the entire industry — whether through new concepts, new ways of approaching and listening to the customer, or new leadership perspectives. It was hard to leave Zoe’s Kitchen Inc. CEO Kevin Miles off of our list, too. Zoe’s was one of the top performers among restaurant companies that went public in 2014.
I could go on and on.
Brands like Uncle Maddio’s, Papa Murphy’s, Raising Cane’s, Corner Bakery Café and American Blue Ribbon Holdings. Dealmakers like Damon Chandik at Piper Jaffray, Gary Levy at CohnReznick and Riley Lagesen at Davis Wright Tremaine. Alice Elliott continues to find and support tomorrow’s industry leaders. And the National Restaurant Association, International Franchise Association, Women’s Foodservice Forum and Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance work hard to move the industry forward.
They can’t all make the list. NRN is confident its official picks for 2015 were laser-focused on the future of foodservice and those shaping it, like our top three selections, Greg Creed at Yum! Brands Inc., Howard Schultz at Starbucks Corp. and Steve Ells at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
All of the Reader Picks appear below. Continue sending us your feedback on Twitter with #NRNPowerList and join us Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern for a live Facebook chat.
Click through the next few pages to see who you chose.
Reader Picks (A-D)
David Adjey
Founder and chef, The Chickery
Rodney Anderson President, Pancheros Mexican Grill
Founder and CEO, Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint
Adam Baker
Co-Founder and CEO, Larkburger
Lynne Bartusek
Executive Vice President of Talent and Human Resources, Cheddar's Casual Café
Selim Bassoul
Chairman and CEO, The Middleby Corporation
Alan Bekerman
Founder and CEO, iQ Food Co.
Chief Executive Officer, Arby's Restaurant Group Inc.
Ross Burack
Co-Founder, Choza Taqueria
Founder and Managing Partner, Trinity Capital
Tom Buxton
President and CEO, Buxton
Steve CaldeiraPresident and CEO, International Franchise Association
President and CEO, Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza
Steven Chan
Founder and CEO, Tin Drum Cafe
Carl Chang
Founder and CEO, Pieology Pizzeria
Dan Chaon
CEO, Native Grill and Wings
Scott Chorna
Senior Vice President of International Development, Johnny Rockets
Gerard Craft
Owner and Executive Chef, Niche Food Group
Scott Crane CEO, Smashburger
Chris Dahlander
Founder and CEO, Snappy Salads
Erle Dardick
Founder and CEO, MonkeyMedia Software/ The Catering Institute
Jonathan Davis
Senior Vice President, Innovation ARYZTA
Founder and CEO, Mendocino Farms
Dan DiZio
CEO and Co-Founder, Potatopia
Lorna Donatone
COO and Education Market President, Philly Pretzel Factory
Kevin D'Onofrio
Director of Food Service, Sodexo Inc., DCA Culinary Group, United States Military Academy at West Point
Shaun Doty
Executive Chef and Co-Owner, Bantam + Biddy
Reader Picks (F-H)
Ahmass Fakahany
CEO and Owner, Altamarea Group
Paul Fleming
Co-Founder, Paul Martin's American Grill
Andrew Freeman
President, Andrew Freeman & Co. Restaurant and Hospitality Consultants
J.R. Galardi
Chief Visionary Officer, Wienerschnitzel/Galardi Group Inc.
Heather Gardea
VP of Research and Development, El Pollo Loco Inc.
Kevin Gillespie
Owner, Executive Chef, Author, Gunshow
Noah Glass
Founder and CEO, Olo
Todd Graves
Founder and CEO, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
Tom Gray
Chef and Owner, Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails
Melissa Greenwald
Board Member of MAFSI, Zink Marketing, Foodservice Group
President and CEO, Captain D's Seafood Kitchen
Andrew Gruel
Head Chef, Co-Founder and CEO, Slapfish
Chris Hadermann
Co-Founder and Partner, Southern Proper Hospitality
Ann and Peter Haigh
Co-Host and Co-Producer, On The Menu Radio
Will Harris
Owner, White Oak Pastures
Scott Harris
Founder, Francesca's Restaurant Group
Aziz Hashim
Managing Partner, NRD Holdings
George Hiller
Founder, President and CEO, Hiller Associates
CEO, Corner Bakery Cafe
Gary Huether
President and Co-Founder, Arooga's Grille House and Sports Bar
Reader Picks (I-P)
Bernard Ibarra
Executive Chef, Terranea Resort
Mark Kaplan
CEO and Chairman, Great Wraps
Peter Karpinski
Co-Founder and COO, Sage Restaurant Group
Sun-Kwon Kim
Founder and CEO, Caffébene
Amit Kleinberger
CEO, Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
George Labelle
Chief Information Officer, Independent Purchasing Cooperative
Riley Lagesen
Partner and Chair of DWT’s National Restaurant Industry Practice Group, Davis Wright Tremaine Law Firm
Fred LeFranc
President, Results Thru Strategy
Larry Leith
Founder and President, Tokyo Joe's
Gary Levy
Partner and Hospitality Industry Practice Leader, CohnReznick
CEO, Red Lobster
Jonathan Marek
Senior Vice President, Applied Predictive Technologies Inc.
Tim McEnery
Founder and CEO, Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurants
John C. Metz
Executive Chef, Marlow's Tavern, Aqua Blue, Hi Life Kitchen and Cocktails
Kevin Miles President and CEO, Zoës Kitchen
Cameron Mitchell
Founder and President, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
Ashley Morris
CEO, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
Charlie Morrison President and CEO, Wingstop Restaurants Inc.
Austen Mulinder
President and CEO, Ziosk LLC
Tré Musco
CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Tesser Inc.
Kimbal Musk Chef and co-founder, The Kitchen Cafe LLC
Erik Oberholtzer Co-Founder, Tender Greens
President and CEO, American Blue Ribbon Holdings
Pierre Panos
Founder and CEO, QS America
Andrew C. Peskoe
Partner, Golenbock, Eiseman, Assor Bell and Peskoe LLP
Vice President of Marketing, Zoës Kitchen
John Piemonte
Co-Founder/Partner, Southern Proper Hospitality Group
Reader Picks (R-Z)
Carrie Reynolds
Vice President Product Development, El Pollo Loco
Adam Romo
CEO, Eatzi's Market and Bakery
President, The Culinary Institute of America
Steven Schussler
Creator and CEO, Schussler Creative Inc.
David Shea
Founder and owner, Shea Inc.
Jeff Sinelli
Founder, CEO and Chief Vibe Officer, Which Wich Superior Sandwiches
Anthony Smith
President and partner, Paul Martin's American Grill
Julia Stewart Chairman and CEO, DineEquity Inc.
Marico Thomas
President, FOUR STAR Pizza -- Thomas United Co. -- Bermuda Hospitality
CEO, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.
Executive Director of Auxiliary Enterprises, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
CEO, Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt
CEO, Fatburger North America Inc.
Gary and Colleen Worthington
Founders, Kneaders Bakery and Café
Tim York
President, Markon Cooperative Inc.
Picks who made the Power List
President and CEO, Fox Restaurant Concepts
View full Power List profile >>
Co-Founder, Owner and CEO, Mendocino Farms
View full Power List profile >>
Wetzel Founders, Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza
View full Power List profile >>
