Who has power in the restaurant industry? What does power really mean when it relates to one of the largest industries in the country, one that employs more than 12 million Americans this year and will achieve roughly $1 trillion in annual sales?
The answer is always shifting, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Power List has evolved alongside it, recognizing everyone from chief executives to tech entrepreneurs to general managers. This year, though, a clue can be found in the official definition of power: “possession of control, authority, or influence over others,” according to Merriam-Webster.
Influence. With influence comes power, and increasingly a horde of social-media users are gaining power by capturing consumers’ attention and driving their purchasing decisions.
Those influencers have become one of the most significant tools in marketers’ toolboxes, redefining how they communicate with potential guests and helping brands big and small reverse their stagnant traffic.
For this year’s Power List, NRN’s editors identified the 25 restaurant marketers who are most creatively reaching guests leveraging the creator economy. Then, with help from marketing and communications firms Belle Communication and Dreambox, we’ve highlighted 25 social-media influencers who have amassed millions of followers and significant influence thanks to their innovative food content.
Click through the gallery to find out how marketers and social media have become a powerful force for the restaurant industry.