Every year, the editorial staff of Restaurant Business chooses the restaurant chain CEO who has done the most outstanding job of leading his or her operation to newfound success. Our 2020 choice for Restaurant Leader of the Year is Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Here, we pay Niccol his due with our profile and related stories. Be sure to watch for our announcement of our virtual sit-down interview with Niccol.
Photograph by Christina Gandolfo
Photograph by Christina Gandolfo
How Brian Niccol has Shaped Chipotle
Since being named CEO in 2018, Brian Niccol has guided Chipotle Mexican Grill to the cutting edge of technology, labor, food sourcing and more.
Chipotle is leading on labor once again
CEO Brian Niccol has led the adoption of several novel people-focused initiatives.
“Brian has the innate ability to synthesize a lot of information, assess where an organization sits in its current moment in time and pull out the three to five most important things the organization can do in short order to really move forward.”
3 questions with Brian Niccol
The Chipotle CEO and Restaurant Leader of the Year talks about what has shaped him as a businessman and father.
“I love to lead with some intuition, and I love to lead with using analytics to inform that intuition.”
What makes a leader?
We’ve found the real deals tend to share certain traits. Here’s our checklist.
coronavirus
Chipotle pays employees an extra 10% during COVID-19 crisis
The fast casual said it’s a way of expressing appreciation for its workers.
leadership
Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol named 2020 Restaurant Leader of the Year
The veteran marketer and brand leader was cited for his focus on culture and emphasis on innovation that have helped the chain rebound.