Executive Perspectives: Inspiration for Today’s Restaurant Leaders


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
  • Beyond Order-Taking: Turning FOH Teams into Brand Ambassadors | Don McCoole
  • Hospitality in the Blink of an Eye - Creating an Exceptional Guest Experience in a Fast Casual Setting | Steve Weigel
Presenters
Suzy Badaracco
President
Culinary Tides, Inc.
Suzy Badaracco is the President of Culinary Tides, Inc. and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminalistics, Associate degree in Culinary Arts, and Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition. Suzy has been trained in military intelligence, Chaos theory, and predictive analysis techniques and has been practicing trends intelligence and predictive forecasting for more than 18 years. Using these techniques, she has been able to successfully predict and profile government, technology, adversary and ally, food, flavor, consumer, industry, and health trends. Culinary Tides, Inc. helps food industry partners navigate trends by revealing relevant patterns so they can create products that connect with customers. They specialize in foretelling a trend’s birth and forecasting its origin, trajectory, and longevity. The forecast results are used to create entrance, navigation, and exit strategies.
Steve Felson
SVP, Operations & Training
The Buona Companies
Don McCoole
Vice President of Sales
INFI
Don McCoole is a proven B2B sales leader with 20+ years of experience driving growth and building high-performing teams. A former U.S. Air Force officer with an MBA from Regis University, he combines strategic discipline with technical expertise to bridge the gap between complex solutions and real business outcomes. As VP of Sales, Don focuses on scaling enterprise revenue through repeatable processes, strong partnerships, and a customer-first approach.
Steve Weigel
COO
Goodberry's
Steve Weigel possesses over four decades of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industries. Currently, he focuses on upholding Goodberry's operational excellence and guaranteeing that each Custard Shop delivers an exceptional guest experience. In addition, Steve oversees all locations within the organization, managing every aspect of operations to reinforce Goodberry's dedication to serving the freshest premium custard, made throughout the day with high service standards. He joined the Goodberry team in 2022 as Chief Operating Officer and has since progressed to the position of President of Brand.
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