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Nation's Restaurant News
The Power List 2017: The 50 most influential people in foodservice
Jan 24, 2017

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Returning for the fourth year running, the NRN Power List is a definitive list of leaders who are defining the industry — of both today and tomorrow. See who made the list, beginning with Ones to Watch and ending with the Top 10 people dominating the industry.
Note: Only the Top 10 are ranked, and the remaining 40 are grouped by areas of influence.

Ones to Watch: Brett Schulman, CEO, Cava Group Inc.
Cava Group

Showing that extending employee benefits can help boost business
Find out why Brett Schulman made The Power List >>

Ones to Watch: Sahar Sander and David Sloan, co-CEOs, Naf Naf Grill
Naf Naf Grill

Polishing a fast-casual diamond in the rough
Find out why Sahar Sander and David Sloan made The Power List >>

Ones to Watch: Lisa Ingram, CEO, White Castle System Inc.
White Castle

Ushering a legacy, family-owned chain into the 21st century
Find out why Lisa Ingram made The Power List >>

Ones to Watch: Andrew Gruel, co-founder and executive chef, Slapfish
Say It To My Face!

Bringing sustainable seafood into the mainstream
Find out why Andrew Gruel made The Power List >>

Ones to Watch: Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO, The Halal Guys
The Halal Guys

Taking the New York street food legend worldwide with 225 new restaurants
Find out why Ahmed Abouelenein made The Power List >>

Dealmakers: Jonathan Owsley, managing partner, L Catterton
Catterton

Banking on up-and-coming fast-casual chains
Find out why Jonathan Owsley made The Power List >>

Dealmakers: Stanley Ma, chairman, president and CEO, MTY Food Group Inc.
MTY Group

Achieving a foothold in the U.S. through acquisitions
Find out why Stanley Ma made The Power List >>

Dealmakers: Olivier Goudet, partner and CEO, JAB Holding Co.

Developing dominance in the coffee-and-doughnut space
Find out why Olivier Goudet made The Power List >>

Influencers: Tony Xu, co-founder and CEO, DoorDash Inc.
Getty

Thinking of delivery beyond point A to point B
Find out why Tony Xu made The Power List >>

Influencers: Tim Ryan, president, The Culinary Institute of America
CIA

Preparing the next generation of chefs for a changing world
Find out why Tim Ryan made The Power List >>

Influencers: John Mackey, co-founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market Inc.
Whole Foods

Committing to world-class foodservice in the natural food space
Find out why John Mackey made The Power List >>

Influencers: Noah Glass, founder and CEO, Olo
Olo

Powering restaurants’ digital efforts in ordering and payment
Find out why Noah Glass made The Power List >>

Influencers: Robert Cresanti, president and CEO, International Franchise Association
IFA

Getting down to business after a historic election
Find out why Robert Cresanti made The Power List >>

Influencers: Paul Brown, CEO, Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc.

Updating a legacy brand for the 21st century
Find out why Paul Brown made The Power List >>

Tastemakers: Carla Hall, chef and owner, Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen
Getty

Spicing up traditional Southern cuisine
Find out why Carla Hall made The Power List >>

Tastemakers: Roy Choi, co-owner, co-founder and chef, Kogi BBQ, LocoL, Chego!, A-Frame, Commissary, POT

Developing a business model that benefits the community
Find out why Roy Choi made The Power List >>

Tastemakers: Patrick Brown, founder and CEO, Impossible Foods Inc.
Impossible Foods

Innovating to feed the world sustainably
Find out why Patrick Brown made The Power List >>

Tastemakers: Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Getty

Trailblazing new concepts in our relationship with food
Find out why Dan Barber made The Power List >>

The Operators: Jim Schwartz, chairman and CEO, NPC International Inc.
NPC

Lending operational muscle to Wendy’s, Pizza Hut portfolio
Find out why Jim Schwartz made The Power List >>

The Operators: Guillermo Perales, president and CEO, Sun Holdings Inc.

Dominating with a diversified franchisee business
Find out why Guillermo Perales made The Power List >>

The Operators: Tom Garrett, founder and CEO, GPS Hospitality
GPS Hospitality

Investing in mature restaurant brands
Find out why Tom Garrett made The Power List >>

The Operators: Shoukat Dhanani, president, Dhanani Group
Dhanani Group

Constructing a franchise giant with steady growth
Find out why Shoukat Dhanani made The Power List >>

The Operators: Valerie Daniels-Carter, president and CEO, V&J Holdings Inc.
V&J Holdings

Setting a high standard of excellence for her franchise group
Find out why Valerie Daniels-Carter made The Power List >>

Groundbreakers: Wyman Roberts, president and CEO, Brinker International Inc.
Brinker International

Keeping casual-dining concepts fresh during a challenging time
Find out why Wyman Roberts made The Power List >>

Groundbreakers: Stacy Peterson, chief information officer, Wingstop Restaurants Inc.
Jason Kindig

Welcoming Wingstop’s customers through the digital door
Find out why Stacy Peterson made The Power List >>

Groundbreakers: Nicolas Jammet, Jonathan Neman and Nathaniel Ru, co-founders, Sweetgreen
Nicole Franzen

Creating a culture of cool around salad in the digital age
Find out why Nicolas Jammet, Jonathan Neman and Nathaniel Ru made The Power List >>

Groundbreakers: Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer, KFC Corp.
KFC

Generating buzz for a successful brand turnaround
Find out why Kevin Hochman made The Power List >>

Groundbreakers: Sam Fox, founder and CEO, Fox Restaurant Concepts LLC
True Food Kitchen

Churning out a slew of successful restaurants
Find out why Sam Fox made The Power List >>

Groundbreakers: Chloe Coscarelli, executive chef and partner, and Samantha Wasser, creative director and president, co-founders, By Chloe
By Chloe

Serving plant-based meals that even meat eaters can love
Find out why Chloe Coscarelli and Samantha Wasser made The Power List >>

Culture Champions: Scott Svenson, co-founder, chairman and CEO, MOD Super Fast Pizza Holdings LLC
MOD Pizza

Building a people-centric business amid rapid growth
Find out why Scott Svenson made The Power List >>

Culture Champions: Erin Moran, chief culture officer, Union Square Hospitality Group
USHG

Giving voice to the issue of paid parental leave
Find out why Erin Moran made The Power List >>

Culture Champions: Gene Lee, president and CEO, Darden Restaurants Inc.
Darden Restaurants

Energizing people and profits through positive, hands-on leadership
Find out why Gene Lee made The Power List >>

Culture Champions: Randy Garutti, CEO, Shake Shack Inc.
Jim Vondruska Photography

From hawking hot dogs to a historic IPO
Find out why Randy Garutti made The Power List >>

Culture Champions: Peter Cancro, founder and CEO, Jersey Mike’s Subs
Jersey Mike’s

Growing chain with an eye on community involvement
Find out why Peter Cancro made The Power List >>

Culture Champions: Cheryl Bachelder, CEO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc.
Popeyes

Championing servant leadership during company turnaround
Find out why Cheryl Bachelder made The Power List >>

Customer Favorites: Lynsi Snyder, president, In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out

Building a billion-dollar brand by keeping it simple
Find out why Lynsi Snyder made The Power List >>

Customer Favorites: David Overton, chairman and CEO, The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory

Maintaining strong customer loyalty and winning on segment sales
Find out why David Overton made The Power List >>

Customer Favorites: Sandra Cochran, CEO and president, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Putting a fast-casual twist on a classic Southern staple
Find out why Sandra Cochran made The Power List >>

Customer Favorites: Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO, Chick-fil-A Inc.
Chick-fil-A

Driving growth by putting customers first
Find out why Dan Cathy made The Power List >>

No. 10: Sally Smith, president and CEO, Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.

Leading a casual-dining powerhouse amid a challenging environment
Find out why Sally Smith made The Power List >>

No. 9: Neal Aronson, founder and managing partner, Roark Capital Group
Roark Capital Group

Growing business through buying — and holding — investments
Find out why Neal Aronson made The Power List >>

Panda Restaurant Group
No. 7: Steve Easterbrook, president and CEO, McDonald’s Corp.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Rethinking the foundations of McDonald’s operations
Find out why Steve Easterbrook made The Power List >>

No. 6: Andy Puzder, nominee, U.S. labor secretary; CEO, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.
Stephen Osman

Representing restaurant operator interests
Find out why Andy Puzder made The Power List >>

No. 5: Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO, and Cicely Simpson, executive vice president, policy and government affairs, National Restaurant Association
National Restaurant Association

Shaping restaurant industry policy
Find out why Dawn Sweeney and Cicely Simpson made The Power List >>

No. 4: Greg Flynn, founder, chairman and CEO, Flynn Restaurant Group LP
Flynn Restaurant Group

Building a franchise empire from eight units to more than 850 locations
Find out why Greg Flynn made The Power List >>

No. 3: Kevin Johnson, incoming CEO, and Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO, Starbucks Corp.
Starbucks

Crafting the chain’s future with a premium coffee experience
Find out why Kevin Johnson and Howard Schultz made The Power List >>

No. 2: Ron Shaich, founder, chairman and CEO, Panera Bread Co.
Panera Bread

Playing the long game with tech innovation
Find out why Ron Shaich made The Power List >>

No. 1: J. Patrick Doyle, president and CEO, Domino’s Pizza Inc.
Domino's

Dominating digital
Find out why Patrick Doyle made The Power List >>

Customer Favorites: Roland Dickey Jr., CEO, Dickey’s Capital Group Inc.
Dickey's Barbecue Pit

Spreading regional barbecue to a national audience 

Find out why Roland Dickey Jr. made The Power List >>

Next Up
The Power List 2016: Reader Picks
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