This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News’ Last Bite Network, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches, and Bret Thorn discussed the mass exodus of CEOs leaving their posts in the past week.

In less than 10 days, the chief executives from Wingstop, Starbucks, Domino’s, and Fazoli’s have all left their posts. Some for different jobs, others to retire, and one citing health reasons. Some of these brands, like Wingstop and Domino’s, performed spectacularly well during the pandemic.

The team discussed what this transfer of power means for these brands and speculates who could take on some of these roles. 

Next, the team discussed the purchase of Barrio Queen by Famous Dave’s parent BBQ Holdings Inc., which purchased the fine-dining brand earlier this week. This will be the company’s third acquisition in a year. The team discussed what this means for the growing group and how it will impact its portfolio.

Plus, hear from Jimmy Wang, the director of culinary innovation for Panda Express, who sat down with Thorn to talk about meat substitutes and their origin in Chinese cuisine.