Hudson Riehle, who has helped define the state of the restaurant industry for nearly four decades, is retiring from the National Restaurant Association in April, the trade group said on Friday.
Riehle is senior vice president of the organization’s research and knowledge group, where he has led the collection of much of the data and thought leadership that has come to define the restaurant industry, such as the association’s annual sales and employment forecast.
That information has helped numerous organizations, including Restaurant Business, get a sense of the state of the nation’s restaurants. That data became vital during crucial periods in industry history, including the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009 as well as the 2020 pandemic, providing a sense of the damage both events inflicted on operators.
The data has helped provide a true indication of the size and scope—and overall economic impact—of the nation’s restaurants and bars.
“Hudson’s unparalleled mastery of the economic analysis of the restaurant industry has been instrumental in guiding restaurant operators through the complexities of the business landscape,” Michelle Korsmo, CEO of the association, said in a statement. “His insights and expertise have not only helped our industry navigate challenges but also seize opportunities for growth and innovation.”
The association cited Riehle’s work on numerous fronts, including improvements to its State of the Restaurant Industry Report and his focus on survey research to define the market, economy and various trends.
He created the association’s Restaurant Operations Data Abstract to help operators compare their business characteristics with similar concepts. And he helped raise the association’s position as an authority on the industry’s impact on the economy.
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