Breakout Session | October 20, 2015 | 11:15am - 12:15pm
Building Your Brand Culture
What defines your brand? Is it light-hearted or earnest? Deeply committed to sustainable farming or all about craveable indulgence? How you define your brand touches every aspect of your business — from the employees who represent the brand to the food on the menu to the in house decor. We’ll explore how to develop a cohesive, appealing brand from the ground up.
PANELISTS
Louis Basile | Founder & President | Wildflower Bread Company
Louis is the founder & president of Wildflower Bread Company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wildflower Bread Company is a fast casual restaurant and fresh dough manufacturer that operates 14 locations in Arizona. Louis is considered one of the most passionate leaders in the fast causal restaurant segment. He was on the founding committee of the Fast Casual Executive Summit and in 2008, was elected to lead the Fast Casual Executive Alliance as president. Louis is an active board member on both the National and Arizona Restaurant Association Boards. Louis worked in the restaurant industry since childhood at his family’s restaurant in New Jersey. His work experience includes The Chart House Corporation and Au Bon Pain prior to founding Wildflower.
Chris Bright | President | zpizza International
Chris co-founded zpizza International in 1999 when it was a four unit local chain. For more than a decade Chris has lead zpizza in, what many would consider, the most competitive segment in the restaurant industry. During Chris’s tenure zpizza has opened more than 100 locations. Most recently Chris crafted the vision and strategy for its new prototype, zpizza tap room. Chris co-founded Fransmart, LLC, in 1999 for the purpose of growing local franchisors into national brands. Fransmart has performed the marketing, sales and screening function to recruit new franchisees for 40+ brands. During Chris’s tenure with Fransmart, the company opened more than 600 units and sold more than 1,000 multi unit franchise deals.
Kathleen Wood | Co-Founder | Suzy’s Swirl
Kathleen is the founder of Kathleen Wood Partners, LLC, an innovative growth strategy firm. She offers strategic consulting services, brand development, and results-driven solutions for restaurant, services, manufacturing and retail clients. Kathleen is a founder of Suzy’s Swirl an innovative frozen dessert concept featuring self-serve, catering and foodservice distribution services. She holds a Bachelors degree t from University of Wisconsin – Stout and Master in Business Administration from Loyola University of Chicago.
Moderator: Brad Christian | Managing Director | Market Force
Brad has served as managing director at Market Force Information for the last nine years. He is responsible for consulting and program design for numerous restaurant organizations in North America. With a focus on driving location performance improvement, he provides guidance on customer experience measurement to help client organizations drive increases in guest satisfaction, loyalty and financial performance. Brad is based out of Norcross, Georgia.
Sponsored by Market Force
