The restaurant business is notoriously competitive and often propelled by passing fads. But, first at the helm of Au Bon Pain, and then as the founder of Panera Bread, Ron Shaich managed to create an entirely new category of dining between fast food and table service and then dominate that market in the United States. He says the strategies that brought him ... Show More
Yesterday
Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization
Even in difficult times, leadership must be about empathy, authenticity, fairness and service. That's according to Darren Walker, the outgoing CEO of the Ford Foundation, a nonprofit with an endowment of billions of dollars and a charge to reduce poverty and injustice. Drawing on ... Show More
31m 15s
May 2024
Trendspotting with Ron Shaich: Panera, Cava, and Beyond
<p>Some business leaders have a seemingly psychic ability to spot trends, and take them mainstream at just the right moment. Ron Shaich is one of those. As a pioneering force behind fast-casual dining, Shaich saw that a growing number of Americans craved higher quality food in a ... Show More
27m 40s
Feb 2024
Revitalizing a Brand by Embracing Change: How Applebee’s Reinvented Their Marketing Approach
From its inception in 1980 to the present day, Applebee’s has been a staple of American culture, offering comfort food and a welcoming atmosphere to patrons across the nation. However, like any long-standing brand, Applebee’s has faced its share of challenges, including a need to ... Show More
28m 39s
May 2024
Bobbie Lloyd, CEO of Magnolia Bakery, on how Kindness, Humanity, and Passion Correlate with Success
Bobbie Lloyd, CEO of Magnolia Bakery, shares her journey from culinary school graduate and former chef for Calvin Klein to leading an iconic brand renowned for its amazing cupcakes and out-of-this-world banana pudding, a favorite of host Robert Tuchman. After working under former ... Show More
41m 47s
Feb 2020
Panera Bread/Au Bon Pain: Ron Shaich (2018)
In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating exper ... Show More
42m 9s
Aug 2023
928: Strategy Between the Slices | Steven Cirulis, CFO, Potbelly
Perhaps it would be fair to speculate that were it not for the changing dietary habits of Americans and surprise arrival of a global pandemic, Steven Cirulis would likely not be occupying the CFO office at Potbelly Sandwich Shop.The pursuit of new alternative proteins inside the ... Show More
58m 3s