Session | October 13, 2014 | 9:30am
How Sustainability Equals Profitability
About 63 percent of consumers say they are more likely to visit a foodservice operation they view as socially conscious, according to Technomic, and that can include a number of different elements from humane treatment of animals to conservation to local community involvement. Although most operators want to meet these initiatives to remain competitive, the biggest obstacle they face is the higher costs associated with them. Consumers, however, expect restaurants to exhibit social consciousness and sustainability points at any cost. This session shows operators how to meet customer demands without losing profits.
PANELISTS
Scott Davis | EVP and Chief Concept Officer | Panera Bread
Scott leads Culinary R&D, Supply Chain/QA, Store Design, Category Management and Sustainability for Panera Bread. Scott began his career at Panera in 1987 in Operations and transitioned to Customer Experience and Product Development focus in 1992.
Marc Simon | President and CEO | Rubio’s Restaurants
Marc S. Simon has been the President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Rubio’s Restaurants since April 2011. Mr. Simon also served as the Chief Operating Officer from September 2009 and Senior Vice President of Operations from November 2007 to September 2009. Before joining Rubio’s, Mr. Simon served as Chief Executive Officer for America’s Incredible Pizza Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma from October 2006 to August 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Simon worked for McDonald’s Corporation as Vice President for Corporate Development from 1994 to 1998. Mr. Simon led the team that brought Chipotle Mexican Grill into McDonald’s and later served as Regional Director for Chipotle from 1998 to 2006. In addition, Mr. Simon spent 17 years with Ernst & Young’s Midwest Consulting Practice where he focused on strategic issues across the restaurant, distribution, manufacturing and service industries. Mr. Simon has a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Library and Informational Science from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University.
