People & Culture Articles
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WOWorks names leaders for franchise recruitment and restaurant support
James Walker leads franchise growth and Nolan Woods takes operations and training as WOWorks pursues new locations and co-branding across six brands.
Church’s gives its commercial chief loyalty, menu and pricing oversight
Kevin Nemeth’s new role combines marketing and digital responsibilities with menu and pricing decisions across Church’s restaurant system.
Jack in the Box Puts Its Board Chair in Charge of the Turnaround
Mark King’s immediate move into the interim CEO role retains JACK on Track while changing who must turn its priorities into operating decisions.
Chicken Salad Chick plans Dublin opening with franchisee Jen Crichfield
Jen Crichfield’s planned April 28 Dublin opening follows her 2019 Westerville debut and early Dublin ambition, alongside the brand’s wider Columbus expansion.
Denny’s names Christopher Bode CEO with a 24-month agenda
Bode’s promotion comes with Project Grand Slam, a 24-month plan covering food, beverages, catering, remodels, retail and digital operations.
Chick-fil-A’s 2026 scholarships show the value of upfront funding
Chick-fil-A announced roughly $29 million for more than 16,000 restaurant workers. Award timing affects how much tuition money a recipient must arrange.
Redberry’s Canadian Expansion Shows the Work Behind Its Store Target
Ken Otto described a 15-month Jersey Mike’s review. Redberry’s earlier records identify the recruits and first Ontario openings that followed.
McDonald’s puts U.S. operations and technology under one COO
Skye Anderson’s new U.S. role joins restaurant operations, development and company stores with technology and supply oversight, alongside two global leadership changes.
Popeyes Appoints Chris Padoan as COO, Expands Field Team 75% in Turnaround Push
Restaurant Brands International named Burger King veteran Chris Padoan as Popeyes COO and expanded the chain's field operations team by 75%, the latest moves in a turnaround effort after four consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines.
Chicken Salad Chick's Millennial and Gen Z Franchisee Surge Signals a New Franchise Model Preference
Chicken Salad Chick named Jill Thomas CMO as the brand reports a record 2025 with nearly 100 new franchise deals and a pipeline surpassing 300 units, driven by younger entrepreneurs seeking structured ownership.
Yum Brands After Gibbs: Chris Turner Inherits a 59,000-Restaurant Empire and an Unfinished AI Transformation
Chris Turner stepped into the Yum Brands CEO seat in October 2025 after three decades of operational DNA built by David Gibbs. A financial architect taking the wheel of the world's largest fast food company by unit count raises real questions about execution versus analysis, especially as Yum's AI bet scales toward 60,000 locations and Pizza Hut bleeds stores.
Starbucks Workers United: Four Years Without a Contract and the March 2026 Proposal That Could Break the Deadlock
Starbucks Workers United filed a comprehensive contract proposal on March 13, 2026, reigniting stalled negotiations that have dragged on for four years without a first contract. For QSR operators watching from the sidelines, the Starbucks labor standoff is the most consequential union story in the industry's modern history.
The Restaurant CEO Pay Gap: What Top Chain Executives Earn vs. the Workers Serving the Food
When McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski earned $19.2 million in 2024, the crew members at the counter made around $14 an hour. That gap is wider than most industries, and it's becoming a real operational problem for chains struggling to hire and retain staff.
Chili's Wants to Turn General Managers into Owners, and It Could Reshape Company-Operated QSR
CEO Kevin Hochman is studying a profit-sharing ownership model for GMs modeled on Texas Roadhouse's managing partner structure. If it works, it could redefine unit-level leadership across company-operated chains.
The Restaurant General Manager Shortage Is the Real Labor Crisis of 2026
While the industry obsesses over hourly wages, GM salaries have surged 12% in a single year. The real labor crisis in QSR is not finding crew members. It is finding the experienced operators who can run a $2-3 million restaurant.
California's $20 Fast Food Wage, Two Years Later: Higher Prices, Fewer Jobs, and an Automation Accelerant
Two years after AB 1228 imposed a $20 minimum wage on California fast food workers, new UC Santa Cruz research shows higher prices, reduced employment, and accelerated automation.
Inside Chick-fil-A's Operator Selection: How 0.25% of Applicants Get Chosen
The selection process, interview stages, what they look for, and why operators can't own multiple stores. Harder than Harvard, more selective than MIT, and structured to filter for a rare combination of traits.
The QSR Labor Market in 2026: Where the Workers Actually Went
The restaurant industry lost 29,700 jobs in February 2026 alone. Turnover still exceeds 100% annually at many chains. Wages rose 6.3% in 2024 and keep climbing. Here is what the BLS data and industry reports actually show about the QSR workforce.