Is Your Growth Plan Still Working?


The goal of any brand is to open as many locations as possible, but what's possible? How do you know if your brand is right for a specific market, and is your current plan nimble and innovative enough to support expansion during these turbulent times?

This panel of growth specialists will reveal what's worked and what's flopped for their brands.

Panelists
Jami Bond
VP of Franchise Development
Goodcents
Jami Bond, CFE, is vice president of franchise development for Goodcents. With an extensive background in restaurant marketing and franchise development, she loves helping entrepreneurs launch their own businesses, and she is very proud to work for a company that provides the support franchisees need to thrive. A graduate of Washburn University, Bond holds a degree in marketing and finance. She is a member of Chief, a private network built to drive more women into positions of power and keep them there.
Dale Goss
SVP Real Estate
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
Dale Goss serves as the Vice President Of Real Estate of Raising Cane's. With over 30 years of experience in restaurant development, Dale thrives on the challenge of developing and executing sustainable growth strategies to deliver value for all stakeholders by developing teams aligned behind the strategy, measuring critical metrics and delivering results. He has expertise in market planning, real estate, construction, architecture, business development and refranchising. Dale has focused on corporate and franchise development programs, working across the QSR, Fast Casual and Casual restaurant segments. He has been responsible for adding over 800 corporate restaurants and over 400 franchise restaurants with four companies.
Jason Morgan
CEO
Original ChopShop
Jason Morgan throughout his career has built and led successful growth companies across various industries. Currently, as Chief Executive Officer at Original ChopShop, Morgan has increased unit count from three units to 19 units in the past six years achieving sales and operating results that are leading the fast casual sector. As Chief Financial Officer of Zoës Kitchen from 2008 to 2015, Morgan was instrumental in the growth of the company, increasing store count from 20 to 150 and revenues from $18mm to $223mm. In April 2014, he led Zoës Kitchen IPO –one of the most successful IPOs in the restaurant sector in the past decade. Prior to Zoës Kitchen, he held CFO positions at a private equity-backed start-up and a gaming technology company. He also held executive positions in strategic planning, investor relations, and treasury at Gaylord Entertainment Co. and Harrah’s Entertainment.
Moderator
R.J. Hottovy
Head of Analytical Research
Placer.ai
R.J. Hottovy, CFA is Head of Analytical Research for Placer.ai. He has covered the restaurant, retail, and e-commerce sectors for nearly 20 years, most recently serving as a Fund Manager for Aaron Allen Capital Partners. He has held several analyst positions in the past, including Global Consumer Equity Strategist at Morningstar and equity analyst roles at William Blair & Co. and Deutsche Bank. Hottovy also brings a wealth of experience with early-stage investments as an investor and member of the investment committee for the IrishAngels/Vitalize venture capital group. Over the past three years, he has worked with more than 50 consumer and technology companies, advising on more than $200 million in early-stage capital raises and other buy- and sell-side M&A transactions. Hottovy is also a member of the Chicago Seed Co. network, a group of Chicago-area investors focused on early-stage food & beverage companies.
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