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Chip Wade on how women and minorities can excel in the restaurant industry C-suite

The Union Square Hospitality Group president explains how the industry can diversify its executive positions and how to talk to employees about racial justice

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

April 27, 2021

When Chip Wade started in the restaurant industry, he was inspired by people like Lenny Comma, former CEO of Jack in the Box, and Clarence Otis, former CEO of Darden Restaurants – Black men in leadership positions. It’s ultimately what inspired him to climb the ranks as high as he did in 19 years at Darden — he was executive vice president at Red Lobster when that brand to private-equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2014.

Since Otis and Comma left their roles in 2015 and 2020, respectively, there are no Black men in CEO or chairman positions at any of the Top 200 restaurant chains, ranked according to Nation’s Restaurant News data.

As president of Union Square Hospitality Group, Wade is not going to let that happen again.

“My personal mission is to develop women and people of color,” said Wade in an interview with NRN.

The C-suite at USHG, a relatively small restaurant company, includes four women.

“[During the pandemic] I hired an equally qualified woman (in the chief technology position) and had to give up nothing,” said Wade.

Wade, who is a father to two sons, wants to inspire the next generation of women and people of color to stand up for themselves and aspire for greatness even if the field looks homogeneous ahead of them.

And in light of the killing of George Floyd last summer — and Derek Chauvin’s subsequent conviction this month — Wade gave tips to companies on how they can treat employees with kindness and information when racially sensitive topics are raised with others. His company’s solution included going outside of the organization for help, listening to employees and taking down the executive veil to connect on a personal level.

Learn some of Wade’s leadership tips in the above video.

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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