This week on Nation's Restaurant News the top story was Meet the 2024 Nation’s Restaurant News Power List. Who has power in the restaurant industry? What does power really mean when it relates to one of the largest industries in the country, one that employs more than 12 million Americans this year and will achieve roughly $1 trillion in annual sales?
The answer is always shifting, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Power List has evolved alongside it, recognizing everyone from chief executives to tech entrepreneurs to general managers. This year, though, a clue can be found in the official definition of power: “possession of control, authority, or influence over others,” according to Merriam-Webster.
In other news, Blackstone Inc., the New York City-based private-equity company, has agreed to buy restaurant chain Tropical Smoothie Cafe for a reported $2 billion, including debt, the companies announced late Wednesday
Blackstone said the deal for Atlanta-based fast-casual Tropical Smoothie Café LLC would be “the first transaction from Blackstone’s most recent vintage of its flagship private-equity vehicle.”
See what else was trending on NRN.com this week.