Culver's

The 35-year veteran of the chain restaurant industry was the first person from outside the Culver family to hold the top job.

The industry ended 2016 a little poorer from the loss of talents like Sam Beall, Michel Richard and Phil Keiser. Here's a quick look at some of the talents that were lost, and the stamp they've left on the business.

In addition to measuring chains’ operational attributes, Technomic also rated their connections to consumers through a series of questions designed to gauge loyalty and perception of a brand.