Jack in the Box’s leadership shakeup, Papa Johns' retail move, and 2025’s winners and losers

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Jack in the Box’s CEO transition, Papa Johns’ big retail play, and results from the most recent Top 500. First up is Jack in the Box, which replaced CEO Lance Tucker after just over a year on the job with interim CEO Mark King — former CEO of Taco Bell. Sam and Alicia share whether they’re surprised by this move and discuss what King may need to do to get Jack in the Box back on track. Next they tackle Papa Johns, which has made several moves lately, from testing drone delivery to partnering with the “Toy Story” franchise to providing a home for stranded Spirit Airlines loyalty points. This week it also announced that it would roll out its signature garlic sauce to retail shelves. Will this sway loyal fans — or cannibalize restaurant sales? Sam and Alicia discuss. They then turn their attention to the most recent Technomic Top 500, which reveals sales and unit count information for the 500 biggest chains in the U.S. Sam and Alicia unpack the results, and particularly performance in the pizza, burger, and chicken categories. Which brands and categories won in 2025 — and which are on the fence? Listen to find out. Finally, we share an interview between senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and Naya head of R&D Khalfani Coicou.

For more on these stories:

Jack in the Box names Mark King interim CEO

Papa Johns' signature garlic sauce will hit retail shelves

The Top 500 Restaurants

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