Chili’s CEO, pt 1: Kevin Hochman on the leadership traits necessary for business success
Take-Away with Sam Oches · Nation's Restaurant News
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (episodes.captivate.fm) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Kevin Hochman, president and CEO of Brinker International, parent company to Chili’s Grill & Bar. Chili’s has been the buzziest restaurant chain of the past two or three years, having recorded 19 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth with help from value deals like its $10.99 3 for Me and viral videos like its mozzarella stick cheese pull. That success took off when Kevin joined Brinker in 2022 and implemented a turnaround plan that focused first on operational improvements and then on effective marketing to drive customers into the newly improved stores. Sam recently sat down with Kevin in a Dallas area Chili’s for an episode of the Signature Series, powered by The Coca-Cola Company; this is part one of that interview, where they cover Kevin’s career in the lead-up to Chili’s and in particular the lessons that he picked up working for two iconic American institutions: Procter & Gamble and Yum Brands. Next week we’ll share part two, where they get in the weeds on how Kevin and his team have transformed Chili’s into the hottest thing going in foodservice.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
- You’re never a finished product
- Clear communication is critical to executing with excellence
- The answers are in the room, you just have to listen and ask the right questions
- Brands have a DNA and personality that you can’t lose sight of
- If you do the right thing for the business, no matter the ROI, you’ll win in the long term
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].