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Maze vs. Oches: The editors in chief at RB and NRN debate Starbucks’ Brian Niccol hireMaze vs. Oches: The editors in chief at RB and NRN debate Starbucks’ Brian Niccol hire

Sam Oches, Jonathan Maze

August 27, 2024

Starbucks hired Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to be its next chief executive, but could it be all bark and no bite? Restaurant Business editor in chief Jonathan Maze and Nation’s Restaurant News editor in chief Sam Oches go toe to toe on the seismic move and whether it makes any sense for Starbucks.

Plus, is Chipotle interim CEO Scott Boatwright the right person for the job long term? He was named interim chief effective Aug. 31 after having served as chief operating officer since 2017. In that role, he’s been instrumental in driving restaurant operations.

And can Subway get out from the shadow that is its $5 Footlong deal? The chain is jumping further into the quick-service deal arena by offering any footlong, including Subway Series builds or custom sandwiches, for $6.99 with smartphone app or online orders. The iconic $5 footlong was originally offered in 2008, before being revived as a two-for-$10 deal in 2020.

About the Authors

Sam Oches

Sam Oches

Editor in Chief

Sam Oches is an award-winning Editorial Director with Informa Connect Foodservice and editor in chief of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. A graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, Sam previously served as Editorial Director of Food News Media, publisher of QSR and FSR magazines. He’s a past president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) and a past board member with the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). His foodservice insights have been shared in national media outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, and CNBC. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and three kids.

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Jonathan Maze

Jonathan Maze

Senior Financial Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Jonathan Maze covers finance for Nations Restaurant News, as well as restaurant chains based in the Midwest.

Jonathan came to NRN in 2014 after seven years covering restaurants for Franchise Times Magazine and the Restaurant Finance Monitor. There, he created an award-winning blog that reported on and analyzed the restaurant industry. He is routinely quoted in various mainstream press articles, including the Associated Press, Washington Post, Orlando Sentinel, Denver Post and Yahoo! Finance. He lives in a suburb of Minneapolis with his wife, two children and their cat.

Reach Jonathan at [email protected], or by phone at 651 633-6526.

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