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20 restaurant executives on the move in the C-suite in March20 restaurant executives on the move in the C-suite in March

Pokeworks, WaBa Grill, Noodles & Company all add multiple executives to bulk up teams; Starbucks and Wendy’s name new diversity executives

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

April 2, 2021

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In the biggest news for the C-suite last month, the food and restaurant industry mourned the loss of Kent Taylor, the founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse, and the casual-dining chain was forced to name a new CEO amid the loss of their leader.

Texas Roadhouse wasn’t the only chain to name a CEO. TopGolf Entertainment named Pizza Hut’s CEO to its own chief executive position, leaving the quick-service chain with an empty leadership spot and on the hunt.

Another chain looking for an executive? Shake Shack, as president Tara Comonte announced in late March that she would be leaving the company.

In other news, as the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer accused of the murder of George Floyd, goes on, big chains continue to hire for diversity and inclusion roles. These roles were initially sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020 following Floyd’s death. Wendy’s and Starbucks both named diversity and inclusion executives in March.

Starbucks, which named two diversity and inclusion executives, wasn’t the only company beefing up its team in March. Noodles & Company named three new executives, and emerging chains WaBa Grill and Pokeworks each named multiple executives to the C-suite.

See last month’s executives on the move.

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Shake ShackStarbucks

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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