Agenda

Join us as we welcome Chef Baul and Daniella Williams, the dynamic duo behind Atlanta’s rising culinary stars, Binky’s and Betty Sue’s. Chef Baul, a former tour chef for music icons like Migos, Cardi B, and Kendrick Lamar, and Daniella, a financial literacy powerhouse, will share their incredible journey of overcoming adversity to achieve remarkable success in the restaurant industry.

This keynote will delve into:

• The Power of Heritage: Discover how Chef Baul’s grandmother, Betty Sue, a former chef to Leon Spinks, instilled the culinary passion that fuels his creations and the importance of preserving culinary heritage, especially during black history month and beyond.
• Resilience and Recovery: Learn how Chef Baul and Daniella turned setbacks, including homelessness and a failed restaurant deal, into a foundation for triumph.
• Financial Foundations for Restaurant Success: Daniella Williams, founder of The Ivy League Academy, will provide invaluable insights into building strong business credit, securing funding, and navigating the financial complexities of the restaurant world.

Tired of the staffing struggle? Feeling overwhelmed by the hiring process? This session will ditch the tired, old tactics and show you how to weaponize technology to dominate your staffing game.

We'll explore cutting-edge solutions to:

• Reduce turnover and increase retention.
• Gain valuable data insights for tracking key hiring metrics, identifying recruitment bottlenecks and managing employee performance and engagement.
• Improve communication and collaboration between management, staff and customers to streamline operations, improve efficiency and foster a more positive and productive work environment.

Spend some time in our suppliers pavilion, where you'll learn about products and services dedicated to improving your restaurant's operations.

Operators hear pitches all the time about products and services that will grow their business, but where’s the proof? We’ve got it right here.

This session includes three 15-minute presentations, each featuring one vendor and one operator sharing the how, when and ROI behind recent rollouts.

Catering represents a significant, yet often underutilized, revenue stream for fast casual restaurants. This dynamic session brings together winners of the "Top 30 Catering" awards to share their winning strategies for maximizing catering sales and profitability.

Attendees will leave the session with:

• A clear understanding of the potential for catering to drive revenue growth in the fast casual sector.
• Practical strategies for developing and implementing a successful catering program.
• Actionable tips for marketing, selling, and delivering catering services effectively.
• Inspiration and innovative ideas from industry-leading catering operators.
• Insights on how to leverage technology to optimize catering operations and enhance the customer experience.

Restaurant professionals will leave this session with the knowledge and tools to optimize financial performance across all restaurant locations.

We will explore:

• Site selection and feasibility analysis by evaluating demographics, competition and market potential.
• Developing accurate financial projections for new and existing locations and creating and managing budgets to control costs and maximize profitability.
• Cost control and profit optimization by identifying and mitigating cost drivers specific to each location.
• Location-based marketing and promotions.

The traditional franchise model is evolving rapidly driven by changing consumer demands, technological advancements and a shift in franchisee expectations.

This session will explore the latest trends and innovations in franchising, including:

• Micro-franchising: Exploring the potential of smaller-scale, lower-cost franchise opportunities and their impact on accessibility and market penetration.
• Technology-enabled franchising: Leveraging technology to streamline operations, enhance communication, and empower franchisees with data-driven insights.
• Shared-service models.
• Multi-unit franchising and area development:
• Empowering the modern franchisee with data-driven decision-making and continuous learning and development.
• Building strong franchisee communities.
• Fostering Innovation and local adaptation while maintaining brand consistency.

Join us for a second round of three 15-minute presentations, each featuring one vendor and one operator sharing the how, when and ROI behind recent rollouts.

Join fellow industry colleagues for an exclusive dinner party at Bull and Bowl in the heart of Austin’s lively 6th Street. With plenty of activities to keep the party going, you can play various arcade games and shuffleboard, shoot some pool, sing karaoke in one of four private karaoke rooms, bowl on one of six duckpin bowling lanes, or if you’re brave enough, ride the bull!

This private dinner party is included with your Summit registration at no additional cost.

First buses depart at 6:45 pm for the quick 5-minute ride.

Join us for three 20-minute small-group discussions on challenges facing operators. Each attendee will participate in all three discussions.

 Topics may include:

• Catering Tips
• Employee Training & Retention
• Keeping Your Kitchen Safe
• Loyalty
• Social Media Marketing

In this session, you will hear four short, thought-provoking talks that will leave you challenged and inspired.

• Culinary Horizons: Decoding Flavor Patterns for Tomorrow's Menu | Suzy Badaracco
• Developing Leaders Instead of Managers | Steve Felson
• The $490 Billion Accessibility Market: How Fast-Casual Brands Can Win by Prioritizing Guest Experience for All | Laura Sporrer

Experts will discuss how restaurants leverage self-service technology to improve profitability, enhance efficiency and delight guests while maintaining a budget-friendly approach.

Attendees will:

• Learn how to start small and scale.
• Investigate cost-effective options, such as using basic POS systems with self-service features, free or low-cost online ordering platforms, existing tablets or mobile devices and partnering with third-party providers for tiered pricing or pay-per-use models.
• Explore how to optimize the menu for self-service.
• Learn how to train staff effectively.
• Learn how to leverage data to identify areas for improvement and cost optimization.
• Promote self-service options to encourage guest adoption.

Effective marketing is crucial for fast casual restaurants to thrive, but large budgets aren't always feasible, especially for smaller businesses. This session will explore creative and cost-effective social media strategies to drive customer traffic and boost your bottom line.

Attendees will discuss:

• Leveraging user-generated content.
• Identifying and partnering with local businesses and influencers.
• Cross-promotion opportunities and joint marketing campaigns.
• Building a strong local network through social media engagement.
• Crafting compelling brand narratives that resonate with your target audience.
• Creating visually appealing and shareable content.
• Developing a consistent brand voice across all social media platforms.
• Maximizing social media presence and optimizing social media profiles for search and discoverability.
• Monitoring and responding to customer comments and messages.
• Using social media analytics to track progress and identify areas for improvement.

The drive-thru experience is undergoing a significant transformation driven by technology and changing consumer expectations. This session will explore the evolving landscape of drive-thru dining and equip attendees with strategies to navigate these changes while maximizing profitability for off-premise orders.

We'll delve into:

• Emerging technologies, including  digital ordering and mobile payments, implementing dynamic menu boards, voice-activated ordering, using AI-powered recommendations to personalize order suggestion.
• Customer experience trends.
• Innovative approaches to increase check size and drive customer loyalty, such as exclusive deals and promotions for digital and mobile orders, subscription models and loyalty programs tailored to off-premise customers.
• Minimizing wait times and ensuring order accuracy and providing a seamless pick-up experience.
• Analyzing order data to identify customer preferences.
• Tracking KPIs to measure the effectiveness of off-premise strategies.
• Utilizing customer feedback to refine operations and enhance the overall drive-thru experience.

Join us to explore the practical applications of artificial intelligence within the fast casual restaurant landscape.

We'll move beyond the hype and delve into real-world examples and actionable strategies for leveraging AI to:

• Optimize kitchen operations.
• Predictive inventory management.
• Streamline order fulfillment.
• Enhance food quality.
• Improve customer experience with personalized recommendations and AI-powered chatbots.
• Create targeted marketing.
• Identify emerging trends.

The restaurant supply chain is experiencing rapid evolution, driven by a heightened focus on resilience and geopolitical and economic volatility. This session explores how to prepare for those changes.

We’ll discuss:

• Diversification strategies, exploring alternative sourcing options, and building closer relationships with domestic suppliers to mitigate risks and ensure continuity of operations.
• Improving inventory optimization with AI-powered tools to forecast demand, optimize stock levels and minimize waste, reducing reliance on just-in-time delivery models.
• Robotics and automation: The use of robotics and automation in warehouses and distribution centers is accelerating, improving efficiency, reducing labor costs and enhancing safety.   
• Data-driven decision making.
• Sustainability and ethical sourcing
• Enhancing traceability.
• Hyperlocal and on-demand services.

This session explores how to build a strong online presence, enhance customer loyalty through personalized experiences, and drive sales with data-driven promotions. Discover how to seamlessly integrate digital and in-store experiences, leveraging tools like QR codes and mobile payments. Gain actionable insights to elevate your brand and capture the modern fast casual consumer.

You'll learn:

• Strategies for enhancing local SEO and online directory management to boost visibility.
• Techniques for leveraging customer data to create personalized loyalty programs and targeted promotions.
• Methods for optimizing online ordering and delivery systems, including third-party integrations and in-house solutions.

Grab an adult beverage or a soda and join several fast casual CEOs discussing the important issues restaurant operators face today and what it will take to succeed in 2026 and beyond.