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GENERAL SESSION / WEDNESDAY / OCTOBER 21, 2020 / 12:45 PM ET

Coming Back From COVID-19

It is fair to say that no single event has rocked the entire restaurant industry like the coronavirus outbreak, and brands – big and small – are still rebuilding from the fallout.

This session will be filled with stories not only from executives who kept their businesses afloat during the trying time but what they learned and how they are moving forward.

PANELISTS

John Lebel | President & CEO | Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta

From politics to pizza, John Lebel, has always taken his New York roots very seriously. John started his career in Washington D.C with a passion for community and helping others. He combined that passion with his love of authentic New York style pizza and help found Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta. Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta has amassed a loyal following for its dedication to using the highest quality ingredients, including pure imported oil from Italy and 100 percent whole milk mozzarella cheese. John and his team have expanded Anthony’s from a single downtown Denver storefront to more than 25 restaurants.

Kyle Noonan | Owner & CEO | Free Range Concepts

Kyle Noonan is an American entrepreneur, speaker, television personality, and creative tastemaker. First known as an entrepreneur who grew his hospitality and entertainment company to a $50mm company in five short years and is on pace to eclipse $100mm in revenue by his eighth year. Not only has Kyle quickly emerged as an innovative entrepreneur and respected speaker, but he has been recognized as an engaging media personality appearing in national outlets such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, Bravo, ESPN, FoodNetwork, Travel Channel, Food & Wine Magazine, New York Times, WallStreet Journal, and many more. Kyle has been described “as innovative as he is engaging” by the New York Times.

Yong Zhao | Co-Founder & CEO | Junzi Kitchen

Yong Zhao was born and raised in Liaoning, northeast of China. He attended the Yuanpei School at Peking University and earned his MESc at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. In 2014, Yong co-founded junzi and has been leading the team as CEO ever since. Being the mastermind and visionary of junzi, Yong Zhao is harnessing the tide of quick-service Chinese food with his quickly expanding restaurant concept and leading the omnichannel shift in eating with innovative solutions such as ghost kitchen. With locations in New Haven and Manhattan, the team most recently opened their fourth store near Bryant Park, New York, and the first delivery-only location at SoHo.

MODERATOR

Dana Grueber | Sr. National Account Manager | Essity North America

Dana Grueber is the Sr. National Account Manager for Essity North America. She is an accomplished sales management professional with over 25 years of experience, who is dedicated to serving restaurants in a sustainable way. Since 2001 she has been responsible for consulting with and expanding our portfolio of high-profile foodservice concepts that extend globally, nationally and regionally.

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