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BREAKOUT SESSION / WEDNESDAY / OCTOBER 21, 2020 / 2:00 PM ET

Don’t Do Business Like A Rookie

Whether you are a seasoned restaurant operator or new to the business, it’s always best to learn from other people’s mistakes instead of making your own.

This session will run through 10 common missteps that you’ll want to avoid.

PANELISTS

Charlie Guzzetta | President | BurgerFi

Charlie Guzzetta is part of the strategic leadership of BurgerFi, a fast growing international better burger concept headquartered in North Palm Beach, FL. Over the past 7 years, Charlie has been instrumental in growing the company from a 20-restaurant regional chain to a 125-restaurant international brand in roles spanning from marketing, operations, sales, and now as the company’s Chief Brand Development Officer. In this role, Charlie brings his innate talents of building partnerships and bridges, with small business owners and major corporations alike, to advance the company’s purpose of redefining the way the world eats burgers.

Stacey Kane | Restaurant Marketing Consultant

Stacey Kane has more than 25 years of experience working with multi-unit restaurant chains as a Head of Marketing and Marketing Consultant. She has worked with such brands as California Tortilla, Think Food Group, Subway and East Coast Wings. Known for her incredible creativity she was one of the pioneers of using social media in the restaurant space and was named a Top 20 Movers and Shakers by Fast Casual Magazine twice. Currently, Stacey is a fractional CMO for several fast casual brands and works as a marketing consultant for CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees a non-profit that serves food and beverage employees with children.

Rajina Pradhan | Founder & COO | Tarka Indian Kitchen

Rajina Pradhan is Founder & COO of Tarka Indian Kitchen, an Austin-based fast casual concept serving flavorful fresh-to-order Indian food. Rajina has more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant business, and currently oversees all aspects of front of house operations and the guest experience, while also directing the brand’s HR policies & procedures. Her mission is creating an inclusive and welcoming culture at Tarka that encourages employee development and advancement. Rajina also serves on the board of Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA), a nonprofit organization that supports survivors of domestic violence & sexual assault.

Nick Vojnovic | President | Little Greek Franchise Development

Nick Vojnovic started working at age 12 as a dishwasher in his neighborhood’s Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has devoted his whole career to the restaurant industry including giving back to the community and various charities as much as possible. Nick currently is the President and majority partner of Little Greek Franchise Development, LLC, since April of 2011. In 2015, he became the owner the USF/Fowler Avenue location in Tampa and rebranded the company to Little Greek Fresh Grill. When Nick first became President, there were 4 locations. Today, there are 43 locations. Prior to Little Greek, he had a 12-year stint as President of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Family Sports Pubs.

MODERATOR

Cherryh Cansler | VP of Editorial | Networld Media Group

Before joining Networld Media Group as Vice President of Editorial, where she oversees Networld Media Group’s nine B2B publications, Cherryh Cansler served as Content Specialist at Barkley ad agency in Kansas City. Throughout her 17-year career as a journalist, she’s written about a variety of topics, ranging from the restaurant industry and technology to health and fitness news. Her byline has appeared in a plethora of newspapers, magazines and websites, including Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine. She also serves as the managing editor for FastCasual.com.

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