Why some restaurants face a leadership vacuum

Why some restaurants face a leadership vacuum

From A Deeper Dive by Restaurant Business Magazine

June 3, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the leadership vacuum in the restaurant industry and the role of fractional executives in addressing this issue.

Is there a leadership vacuum in the restaurant business? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Toni Ronayne, the founder of the fractional C-suite firm C Society. C Society provides experienced executives who can work with emerging and other restaurant chains, filling a need for c-level leadership. Ronayne is a longtime industry executive whose past stops have included Perkins and Freshii, among other companies. We discuss why companies need this and how these executives can help. But we also talk extensively about several other issues regarding leadership in the restaurant industry. This is the latest in a series of podcast episodes that we recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show and it’s a good one so please check it out.

People in this episode

Host: Restaurant Business Magazine

Guest: Toni Ronayne

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • restaurant industry
  • C-suite
  • executive roles
  • emerging restaurant chains

Keywords

  • leadership vacuum
  • restaurant business
  • C-suite
  • Toni Ronayne
  • executive leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: C Society, Perkins, Freshii, National Restaurant Association

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