Chili’s parent company CEO Kevin Hochman Kevin Hochman has revealed that some of his most effective business ideas come during moments of quiet reflection rather than formal corporate discussions. The executive said stepping away from packed schedules and constant meetings often helps him think more clearly and approach challenges with a fresh perspective.
According to Business Insider, He added that these moments of clarity usually come during his early morning routine, particularly while running or walking his dog before sunrise, when there are fewer distractions and more uninterrupted time to think.
Hochman, who leads Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s, said his day usually starts between 5 am and 6 am. Before heading to the office, he spends time checking emails, going for a 3.25-mile run and walking his dog — a routine he says often helps him think more clearly about the business.
“Between running and walking the dog, you get a lot of ideas on what the things we should be working on are,” he said, according to Business Insider.
“It typically generates a lot of ideas when it comes to thinking about the business.”
Early mornings and employee feedback shape decisions
Hochman said those quiet hours have become an important part of how he approaches leadership. The CEO reaches Brinker International’s Dallas headquarters around 8:30 am, where the rest of the day is usually filled with meetings, restaurant visits and discussions with employees.
According to Hochman, many of Chili’s operational changes have come directly from conversations with workers inside restaurants. During employee listening sessions, he often asks staff members what excites them most about the brand and what changes they would make if they were leading the company.
“A huge amount of the changes that we’ve made at Chili’s have come from sessions like those,” he said.
One example he shared was simplifying inventory checks by moving them from weekly to monthly counts.
From boardroom meetings to tasting fajitas
Apart from strategy meetings, Hochman also spends time reviewing menu ideas and customer feedback with his leadership team. Some days involve visiting Chili’s test kitchen, where executives discuss food trends and experiment with new dishes.
“We’ll taste some things, like how we can present our fajitas better,” which the chain is currently experimenting with, “or dessert innovation,” he said.
Hochman added that managing a restaurant chain with more than 1,000 locations means handling constant meetings with restaurant operators, corporate teams and investors.
Even with packed schedules and large-scale business decisions, he said his routine continues to begin the same way every morning — with a run, a dog walk and fresh ideas for the business.