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The Power 20

This year's 20 elite leaders of the restaurant industry

The Power 20

Marcus Byrd

 Jan. 13, 2020

Marcus Byrd was merely a fan of fast-casual Mexican chain Dos Toros when he sent a LinkedIn message to the emerging chain’s CEO. A coffee date meeting led to Byrd becoming the brand’s fourth corporate employee when the concept had just four units and was making about $10 million annually. Now, Dos Toros pulls in nearly $60 million a year and was recently acquired by Chopt.

The Power 20

Nick Kenner

 Jan. 13, 2020

Founding Just Salad in his 20s, Nick Kenner built a growing fast-casual brand that has seen 30 consecutive months of same-store sales growth, with 2019 comp sales up 18%.

The Power 20

Marguerite Mariscal

Jan. 13, 2020

Last August, the New York Times called Marguerite Mariscal the “secret sauce” behind the growing Momofuku Group restaurant empire.

The Power 20

Sami Siddiqui

Jan. 13, 2020

The restaurant industry’s leadership preferences tend to go in cycles. In a trying economic environment, finance veterans appear to have an inside track to the CEO’s job.

The Power 20

Zip Allen

Jan. 13, 2020

Zip Allen has spent her career driving results in the digital realm for big brands. While with Pizza Hut, she launched several initiatives to drive customer acquisition via digital experiences, such as digital-only offers, flash sales and the launch of the Hut Rewards loyalty program.

The Power 20

Christopher Thomas-Moore

Jan. 12, 2020

Christopher Thomas-Moore is a creator. Since joining Domino’s in 2018, he’s driven several tech advancements and campaigns, including the launch of its Points for Pies loyalty program that allows users to scan any pizza for points, using AI-tech embedded in Domino’s app.

The Power 20

Laura Titas

Jan. 12, 2020

When Laura Titas joined Wendy’s in 2018, the burger chain was considered a tortoise in the race for digital sales. But after an investment of $25 million in digital, growth was up 325% year over year in Q3 2019, Titas reported in a presentation at Wendy’s Investor Day last year. 

The Power 20

Danika Brown

Jan. 07, 2020

Danika Brown first joined Auntie Anne’s as an intern, coming on full time after graduating college. “Since that time, she’s been promoted quickly because of her work ethic, her strategic thinking, her respect from her peers and franchisees, and her ability to produce results, over and over again,” says Auntie Anne’s President Heather Neary. Now, says Neary, she’s responsible for the brand’s off-premise initiatives, which Brown has grown six- to ten fold since the program first started in 2017.

The Power 20

Brian Loescher

Jan. 06, 2020

Brian Loescher has spent his career in the restaurant industry, dating back to when he was a team member for Rally’s Hamburgers. Now, he’s focused on franchising.

The Power 20

Jason Valentine

Jan. 06, 2020

The running joke among Jason Valentine’s circle of friends was that he was always 20 going on 40, says Valentine, now the president and COO of Zoup! Eatery. He actually achieved his lofty position at 38, getting hired by Zoup’s CEO and founder Eric Ersher in 2018.

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