1:15 pm | Breakout Session

Sustainability Made Easy

Customers expect their favorite restaurant brands to be as green as possible without diluting food quality or the customer experience.

This session will show attendees how to identify easy fixes to reduce waste as well as give creative tips on how to not only train employees but inspire them to want to do their parts in reducing the brand’s carbon footprint.

Panelists:
• Landon Eckles | Co-Founder & CEO | Clean Juice
• Sandra Noonan | Chief Sustainability Officer | Just Salad
• Gregg Rozeboom | Founder & CEO | Fruitive

1:15 pm | Breakout Session

We’re Living in a Mobile Revolution

It may sound dramatic to call these times that we are living in a mobile revolution, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

As we see more technology and disruption in the restaurant market, brands must continue to adjust accordingly. Where restaurants used to only focus on their menus, physical environments and the experience created there, they now must become experts in technology and in creating experiences for guests who may never set foot in a physical restaurant.

This session will teach attendees how to do just that.

Panelists:
• Scott Redler | COO & Co-Founder | Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
• Kelly Roddy | CEO | Saladworks
• Steve Schulze | Co-Founder & CEO | Nékter Juice Bar

Moderator:
• Brian Whitney | VP, Restaurants | Appetize

4:00 pm | Breakout Session

Where Do You Stand in the ‘New Era’ of Third-Party Delivery?

Orders through delivery apps are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 27.9%. That equates to about $16.6 billion by 2023. And as with any new hyper-growth technology, it means that the companies competing for a significant position are rapidly evolving.

This session will not only discuss who the key players are in delivery and the recent changes but will also teach attendees how to take advantage of advancements in efficiency and performance made available in 2020.

Panelists:
• Tony Darden | President & COO | MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes
• Kevin Fish | Senior Vice President, Digital | Wingstop
• Chad Fox | Director of Operations | Four Foods Group

4:00 pm | Breakout Session

Women in the Lead: Keeping the Momentum Going

Although it’s true that more women than ever are holding leadership roles as chefs, CEOs and vice presidents, we are still a long way from a 50-50 gender split.

This panel brings together several female leaders of the fast casual industry who will discuss how they overcame the challenges they faced on their way to the top and how the industry can be more inclusive of all genders.

Panelists:
• Amy Hom | VP of Operations | sweetgreen
• Laurie Schalow | Chief Corporate Affairs & Food Safety Officer | Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Carin Stutz | CEO | Native Foods

Moderator:
• Michelle Harden | Partner | Messner Reeves

11:30 am | Breakout Session

Uncovering Supply Chain Hacks

Scaling your brand is not possible without a solid supply chain in place, but the word, “solid” often means expensive and immobile. But does it have to be?

Our experts say no and will reveal the ways they increase operations efficiencies, reduce costs and improve revenue.

Panelists:
• Michael Mohammed | CEO | Chronic Tacos

11:30 am | Breakout Session

Calculating the Value of Self-Service

What if you could see a huge increase in your average ticket size by spending a little money upfront? That’s what happened last year at the AT&T Center, the Cincinnati Museum Center and LSU. After deploying self-service kiosks in their food and restaurant areas, those companies saw 18%, 20% and 16% increases in average order sizes, respectively.

This session will demonstrate how kiosks can enhance the guest experience and increase staff productivity to drive financial performance, improve guest experience and future-proof operations. And we’ll discuss how to calculate the ROI to see if a deployment is in your brand’s best interest.

Panelists:
• Todd Madlener | President & COO | Coolgreens
• Aaron Noveshen | Founder & President | Starbird & Culinary Edge Ventures

12:45 pm | General Session

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 Le Bel | President & CEO | Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta
• Kyle Noonan | Owner & CEO | Free Range Concepts
• Yong Zhao | Co-Founder & CEO | junzi

Moderator:
• Tracey Fullington | National Account Manager | Essity North America

2:00 pm | Breakout Session

Chef Chatter: Menu Trends Revealed

Chefs must be on the cutting edge of all menu trends, and who better to reveal next year’s most popular foods than the people designing menus for some of the hottest up and coming fast casuals.

Panelists:
• Brian Bailey | Founder & CEO | Ichor Restaurant Group
• William Eudy | Corporate Executive Chef | McAlister’s Deli
• Ike Shehadeh | Founder | Ike’s Love & Sandwiches

2:00 pm | Breakout Session

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
• Rajina Pradhan | COO | Tarka Indian Kitchen
• Nick Vojnovic | President | Little Greek Franchise Development

3:00 pm | Breakout Session

How to Get in the Food Safety Zone

Keeping customers and employees safe has been one of the year’s most pressing issues whether it’s containing the spread of COVID-19 or avoiding foodborne illnesses that can often crop up in restaurants.

This session will take a look at how restaurants fighting the good fight are succeeding by implementing strict procedures, inspiring employee and leadership buy-in as well as using technology when possible.

Panelists:
• Steve Felson | Vice President of Operations | Bonchon
• Carl Howard | President & CEO | Fazoli’s

3:00 pm | Breakout Session

Getting Down to Business with Contactless

As the pandemic surges on, restaurants are finding innovative ways to stay in business, and that means reimagining the customer experience to provide easy contactless options; whether at the table, on the patio, in the drive-thru, curbside or delivery. But what if you don’t have a lot of time, money or space to accommodate this need? It’s OK, according to this panel’s experts, who will share how they incorporated the contactless experience without straining business operations.

Panelists:
• Bill DiPaola | COO | Ballard Brands
• Don Fox | CEO | Firehouse Subs
• Wayne Pederson | Vice President, IT | Fazoli’s Restaurant Group

Moderator:
• Dirk Izzo  | Senior Vice President & General Manager | NCR Hospitality