Blaze Pizza names Tracy Stockard chief marketing officer

August 25, 2026

Blaze Pizza has appointed Tracy Stockard as chief marketing officer. A veteran marketing executive with more than two decades of experience leading national…

Papa Johns promotes 4 to leadership positions

August 6, 2026

Papa Johns International Inc. has made several immediate changes to its leadership team to support the company's ongoing strategic transformation, according to…

Yum Brands appoints Nai De Leon as chief people officer

July 22, 2026

Yum Brands Inc. has appointed Nai De Leon as chief people and culture officer, effective Nov. 1, according to a press release.

Build your leadership team: The team that reports directly to you

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

True organizational growth and scalability require distinguishing between mere managers and genuine leaders.

The hot spot: How Coal’s perfected Louisville's pizza date night

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

After transitioning out of their successful frozen food business, Mark and Madeleine Peters embarked on a 9,000-mile culinary road trip that inspired them to…

Latitude Food Group taps James O'Reilly as CEO

July 10, 2026

Latitude Food Group, an operator-led restaurant group that owns &pizza and Tijuana Flats, has named restaurant industry veteran James O'Reilly as its next…

Papa Johns appoints interim CFO as Ravi Thanawala departs

July 1, 2026

Papa John's International Inc. has restructured its executive team after the departure of chief financial officer Ravi Thanawala, who is resigning to assume a…

Restaurant summer hiring soft again, projected to add 450K jobs

June 24, 2026

The number of 16- to 19-year-olds in the workforce totaled about 6 million in April, down 200,000 from the same period in 2024 and 2025. The labor force…

Domino's announces major leadership transition as CEO Russell Weiner to retire

June 23, 2026

Domino's Pizza has announced that Chief Executive Officer Russell Weiner plans to retire from his role, kicking off a multi-year leadership transition that…

Understaffing top stressor for restaurant workers, study finds

June 18, 2026

Understaffing ranks as the top stressor for restaurant workers, according to a recurring industry report released by 7shifts, an HR platform for restaurant…

Former Domino's veteran Jimmy Simonte joins Hungry Howie's as EVP of marketing

June 17, 2026

Jimmy Simonte has joined Hungry Howie's as executive vice president of marketing. In his new role, Simonte will lead the pizza chain's marketing strategy and…

Marco’s Pizza to open $1M operations center in downtown Orlando

June 17, 2026

Marco's Pizza is developing an Operations Center of Excellence in downtown Orlando, a strategic expansion designed to support the chain's growth as it targets…

Hospitality hiring challenges driven by structural gaps, new study finds

June 4, 2026

A new study reveals that the hospitality industry's hiring challenges stem from deep structural issues rather than a simple high volume of applications, driven…

The 'people-first' philosophy that turned a broke delivery driver into Domino’s largest U.S. franchisee

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Former delivery driver Brian Bailey scaled his Domino’s franchise from a single New Mexico location into a massive 160-store empire by maintaining a strict…

CEC Entertainment names Chris Monroe EVP, CFO

May 19, 2026

CEC Entertainment, parent company to Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza, has appointed Chris Monroe has EVP and CFO. Monroe has more than 30 years of…

From scribbles to savings: Why precision labeling is the new profit protector

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Star Micronics is showcasing its versatile mC-Label series at the National Restaurant Association Show this weekend, highlighting how high-precision labeling…

Presented by Star Micronics America

Pizza Inn franchisee shares leadership insights, advice on growing a franchise

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Dion Firooznia transitioned from a 40-year career in corporate restaurant leadership to become an award-winning Pizza Inn franchisee, leveraging multi-unit…

The Power of One leadership team: Building a Founder’s leadership team for success

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

May 4, 2026

To scale a business successfully, a founder must transition from being the organization’s primary bottleneck to building a high-level Power of One leadership…

Mellow Mushroom's 'fast fine' format slashes labor costs by 40% but keeps nostalgia

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Mellow Mushroom is evolving its 50-year-old business model with a counter-service format that reduces labor and build-out costs for franchisees while…

7 strategies for creating high-performing culture, building a winning team

by Jim Knight — Founder & CEO, Knight Speaker

Building a high-performing culture isn't an accident — it's an intentional leadership strategy that prioritizes purpose, trust and empowerment to transform a…