Succession Planning for the Restaurant & Hospitality Industry

Why succession matters now more than ever in restaurant, food service, hospitality, and franchise industries.

Is your leadership team succession ready? Take our assessment to find out.

What the Data Tells Us

Wray Executive Search surveyed senior leaders across full-service restaurants, hotel groups, QSR brands, and multi-concept operators to understand how prepared the industry is for succession. Here’s what we found:

60% of companies anticipate replacing at least one C-suite leader within 18 months.
39% have no identified internal successors for any C-suite role.
Leadership development programs are rare—only 15% of organizations have one in place.
The #1 challenge is bench strength, with many brands facing thin pipelines and retention risks.

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Common Challenges in Succession

Thin Talent Pipelines – Limited qualified successors and high turnover risk.
Leadership Readiness – Few programs to prepare high-potential talent.
Geographic Constraints – Difficulty attracting executives outside major markets.
Missed Benchmarking – Internal candidates not compared against external talent.

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Our Approach

At Wray Executive Search, we help companies:

Benchmark internal successors against a national slate of external talent.
Identify leaders with the right blend of experience, culture fit, and vision alignment.
Overcome geographic barriers with a national network of top executive talent.
Strengthen leadership teams through strategic advising and long-term partnerships.

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Executive Search Succession Specialists

Leadership transitions are inevitable—but in the restaurant and hospitality industry, they can make or break growth. Whether planned or unexpected, the departure of a C-suite executive can disrupt momentum, threaten strategic continuity, and create uncertainty across teams and stakeholders.

At Wray Executive Search, we believe succession isn’t just about filling a vacancy—it’s about building leadership teams that drive long-term success.