How to empower employees through autonomy, ownership

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Effective leadership requires balancing autonomy with support to transform organizational culture, drive innovation and boost performance by empowering…

GoTo Foods names CFO, CGO

February 27, 2026

GoTo Foods, the parent company of seven foodservice brands, has hired a chief financial officer and chief growth officer while elevating three veteran internal…

The Real Reason Your Team Is Burning Out (It's Not What You Think)

The way your team communicates is burning them out. And if you're running your internal communication through personal messaging apps like WhatsApp or…

Greg Vojnovic leading franchise expansion at The Melt

February 23, 2026

The Melt, a California-based chain known for its "MeltBurger," has hired industry veteran Greg Vojnovic as head of franchising to lead its expansion beyond the…

Freddy’s Frozen Custard names Todd Paladini as CIO

February 11, 2026

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has named Todd Paladini as its first chief information officer, a position created to modernize the chain's…

Starbird appoints Greg Levin as CEO

February 10, 2026

Starbird has appointed former BJ's Restaurants CEO Greg Levin as its new chief executive officer and board member to spearhead the brand's national expansion…

How top franchise brands turn culture into direct profitability

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Industry leaders will gather at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit to share actionable strategies for transforming workplace culture and…

The future of hiring in restaurants is more human than we think

by Alexander Florio — Co-Founder, Swob Inc.

For years, restaurant hiring followed a familiar script: post a job, wait for applications, interview whoever showed up, and hope at least one person stayed…

Why Your Company Has 40 Group Chats and Nobody Knows What’s Going On

Personal chat apps give you zero control over company data. When employees leave, they take years of business information with them—and removing them takes…

Shake Shack hires chief commercial officer to oversee marketing, culinary, revenue

January 20, 2026

Shake Shack Inc. has hired Jim Taylor as its first chief commercial officer, a new position designed to oversee the company's marketing, culinary and revenue…

Lola Beans hires Jessie Bray as fractional chief operating officer

January 16, 2026

Lola Beans, a drive-thru beverage franchise specializing in handcrafted coffee and plant-based energy drinks, has named hospitality veteran Jessie Bray as its…

Tom Carr named CEO of Guthrie's

January 14, 2026

Guthrie's, a chicken-finger-only concept with over 70 locations, has named Tom Carr as president and chief executive officer.

Hawaiian Bros hires Shannon Scott as CMO

January 13, 2026

Hawaiian Bros has named Shannon Scott as its chief marketing officer, the company announced Tuesday, as the island-inspired restaurant chain prepares for a…

“Engagement That Rocks” reveals the amplifier behind culture, retention, guest loyalty

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

"Engagement That Rocks: Enhance Employee Experience and Retain Chart-Topping Talent," the third book in the “Culture That Rocks” trilogy, written by Jim…

Dave's Hot Chicken hires Joshua Liggins as VP of franchise development

January 12, 2026

Dave's Hot Chicken announced Monday the appointment of Joshua Liggins as vice president of franchise development, a move intended to accelerate the brand's…

Qdoba names chief legal officer

January 12, 2026

Qdoba has hired Cathy Tang as chief legal officer, a move intended to bolster the restaurant chain's aggressive plan to double its footprint over the next…

Shipley Do-Nuts names Bill Leibengood as CMO

January 8, 2026

Shipley Do-Nuts has named restaurant industry veteran Bill Leibengood as chief marketing officer. He joins the Houston-based brand with more than 25 years of…

Dave’s Hot Chicken promotes Jim Bitticks to CEO

January 8, 2026

Bitticks will join the founders of Dave's Hot Chicken as the keynote speakers at the Founderology Growth Summit, Feb. 2-4 in Austin.

Clay Dover named CEO of Savory Fund

January 7, 2026

Savory Fund, a private equity firm specializing in emerging restaurant concepts, announced a major leadership restructuring Wednesday, promoting Co-Founder…

The Legal Liability of Unmonitored Work Group Chats

There comes a point where the informal chat apps that got your business off the ground become a serious liability, creating legal, HR, and financial risks that…