Has there ever been a CEO change as bold as Starbucks' appointment of Brian Niccol?

Starbucks’ coup in stealing Brian Niccol from Chipotle to serve as CEO had the restaurant industry abuzz this week. Seldom has the restaurant industry been as enthralled by an executive change. Or maybe we should say never. Has there ever been a high-level appointment that matched the sizzle of this one?

This week’s episode of Restaurant Rewind aims to answer that question. We look at the two high-level stunners that struck us as the only other contenders for being remembered as the most intriguing leadership transfer the business has ever seen.

Trying to guess which two they might have been? Here’s a hint: One happened 40 years ago, and the other about 30.

Better yet, just hit Play for a sample of the drama those two appointments sparked. You’ll also learn a little about Niccol that didn’t come out in the torrent of coverage his recruitment generated.