Speakers

Clay Dover is the CEO of Savory, where he leads the strategy, growth, and performance of a portfolio of founder-led restaurant brands. He partners closely with brand leaders and platform teams to scale concepts through disciplined development, operational excellence, and a strong, people-first culture. Clay is known for his hands-on leadership style, his ability to build high-performing teams, and his passion for helping founders unlock the full potential of their brands while preserving what makes them special. Prior to joining Savory, Clay served as Chief Executive Officer, President, and Taco Maker at Velvet Taco. Under his leadership, the brand grew from 4 to 54 restaurants across the United States and internationally, delivering industry-leading performance and earning award-winning consumer recognition. Clay also led the successful sale of Velvet Taco from L Catterton to Leonard Green & Partners in late 2021, and the company was recognized by QSR Magazine as a Best Place to Work in 2023. A restaurant industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Clay has held a variety of senior executive roles, including President and Chief Marketing Officer at Raising Cane’s. He has been named one of the most influential restaurant CEOs in the country by Nation’s Restaurant News and currently serves on the boards of the Texas Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association Fast Casual Industry Council. He previously served as Co-Chair of the National Restaurant Association Marketing Advisory Group.

Justin Mennen currently serves as Shake Shack’s Chief Information and Technology Officer, overseeing all aspects of the Company’s technology strategy and operations. With over two decades of experience, Justin has led technology organizations across various industries globally. He has an extensive background as a chief digital, technology, and information officer, leveraging technology to create competitive business advantages, drive transformation, and enhance customer experiences. Prior to joining Shake Shack, he served as EVP, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Rite Aid Corporation where he led the company’s digital and technology organizations, enhancing online platforms and modernizing systems across 2,400 stores. Before Rite Aid, Mennen was the Chief Digital and Information Officer of CompuCom Systems and served as the Vice President of Enterprise Architecture and Technology Innovation for The Estée Lauder Companies. He has also held multiple leadership roles at Dell Technologies, ultimately serving as the Regional Chief Information Officer for Asia Pacific and Japan, based in Malaysia.

Chris Schultz is the CEO of Velvet Taco and has spent more than 30 years building brands that people don’t just like, they obsess over. Over the course of his career, he has helped build and scale some of the industry’s most distinctive brands, including Starbucks, MOD Pizza, Voodoo Doughnut, and now Velvet Taco. He began his career with Starbucks during its early expansion, supporting the company’s growth across multiple U.S. markets and internationally, later joined the founding leadership team at MOD Pizza where the brand grew from one store to more than 300 locations in the U.S. and internationally, and went on to serve as CEO of Voodoo Doughnut, where he tripled the size of the iconic brand Chris has been recognized three times by National Restaurant News as one of the industry’s Most Influential CEOs and was also recognized by the publication as one of the Most Influential Restaurant Marketers.

Shauna K. Smith is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Savory Fund, a private equity firm focused on investing in and scaling emerging restaurant brands. In her role, Shauna leads Portfolio Management and Value Creation, partnering closely with leadership teams to drive revenue growth, operating discipline, strategic transformation, and scalable infrastructure across the Savory portfolio. Shauna is an accomplished executive leader with 18+ years of experience building and growing Food & Beverage businesses. Since 2008, she has helped develop, acquire, operate, and manage 530+ restaurants across a dozen states, generating more than $3 billion in aggregate sales and creating tens of thousands of jobs throughout her career. Her work has been centered on improving unit-level performance, strengthening teams and culture, and driving enterprise value creation through operational excellence. Savory’s growth and impact have earned multiple industry accolades, including fast-growth recognition from Restaurant Monitor and over a dozen appearances on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list. Shauna has also been recognized individually for her leadership, including being featured on the cover of Franchise Times (November 2018 and May 2023), named one of Utah Business Magazine’s “30 Women to Watch” (2019), and receiving CXO of the Year (2020) and CEO of the Year (2022) honors from Utah Business.

Geoff Alexander joined Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) in 1993 and following his work on multiple concepts within LEYE’s portfolio, he took over LEYE’s Asian concept, Wow Bao in 2009. A pioneer in both technology and social media, Geoff redefined the fast casual space by implementing mobile ordering, self-ordering kiosks, bicycle delivery and nationwide shipping. Geoff has overseen Wow Bao’s inclusion into airports, major sports stadiums, university campuses, music venues, grocers around the country sell Wow Bao’s frozen retail line. Shortly after being named to both Nation’s Restaurant News’ Power List and Most Influential Restaurant CEOs in the country, Geoff changed the game in the restaurant industry once again by creating Wow Bao Now; launching more than 500 Wow Bao Dark / Virtual Kitchens in more than 400 cities in less than 18 months.

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Connect Media and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Kim Collura is Vice President of Marketing at Jason’s Deli, where she has led the brand’s marketing strategy since 2023. An action-driven leader, Kim is known for building brands, driving growth in new market segments, and translating consumer insights into impactful, executable strategies. She brings deep expertise in Millennial and K–12 consumers and a proven track record in new product development. Prior to Jason’s Deli, Kim held senior marketing and operations roles at Pizza Hut and CiCi’s Pizza, where she led breakthrough product innovation, next-generation concept development and integrated marketing strategies that significantly increased sales and brand relevance. She began her career at Yum! Brands in supply chain and program management, giving her a uniquely holistic perspective on brand growth from ideation through execution. Kim earned her undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and later received her MBA from Southern Methodist University.

John Dillon is a nationally recognized, award-winning President and CEO, board advisor, and growth catalyst with a track record of delivering enterprise transformation and measurable business performance across restaurants, hospitality, retail, consumer products, education, and sports and entertainment. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of la Madeleine Bakery and Cafe, a fast casual brand with nearly 100 cafes across the U.S., where he is leading a disciplined and aggressive modernization focused on guest experience, unit-level economics, operating improvements, and deliberate expansion across domestic and international markets. John earned his reputation leading complex, multi-unit businesses where results depend on clarity, execution, and alignment across field teams, support centers, owners, and boards. Over a 16-year tenure at Denny’s Corporation, John advanced from Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Brand Officer and ultimately President, playing a key leadership role in revitalizing the 1,600-unit system.

Michael Dolinger is a veteran in multi-unit restaurant operations, having worked for companies like Caribou Coffee and Glory Days Grill. Mike started his career as a franchisee with ExxonMobil and earned degrees from Johnson and Wales, L’Academie de Cuisine and Radford University.

Blas Escarcega is Chief Development Officer at Bonchon, a global leader in Korean fried chicken with more than 150 restaurants in the U.S. and nearly 500 worldwide. In his role, Blas accelerates franchise growth, strengthens franchisee partnerships, and expands the brand across the United States. With over 25 years of experience in restaurant finance, development, and strategic planning, Blas has guided both emerging and established concepts through the complexities of expansion. His unique blend of financial acumen and development expertise empowers clients to build scalable franchise systems backed by data, strategy, and operational insight.

Elisia Flores serves as CEO of L&L Franchise, Inc. which has over 220 restaurants across the country and in Japan. She is responsible for setting the strategic vision of the company and driving new growth initiatives. Flores has been instrumental in developing key partnerships to expand the L&L brand, strengthening the brand across markets and implementing national revenue generating programs for the franchises. Prior to L&L, Flores worked at General Electric Company (GE) for over 8 years. At GE, she was responsible for significant audit and process improvements at GE Aviation, GE Corporate and overseas at GE Capital Interbanca. Flores serves on the board of directors for Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE: HE) and is chair of the audit committee for American Savings Bank (subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries). Also, she serves on the boards of Hawaii Pacific Health (one of Hawaii’s largest healthcare systems), Diamond Head Theatre and the Hawaiian Humane Society.

Kelly Gray is a business leader and entrepreneur with over 20 years in commercial real estate and a passion for the restaurant industry. She co-founded Rapid Fired Pizza in 2015 and became a part-owner of Hot Head Burritos in 2017. As President of the Gem City Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association and a 2025 Top 10 Business Woman honoree, Kelly champions mentorship, community involvement, and empowering women in business.

Troy Hooper joined Pepper Lunch as one of the three global business unit CEO’s for the brand, and oversees Pepper Lunch’s parent company in North America, Hot Palette America. Troy brings 30 years of unparalleled experience in hospitality, operations management and executive leadership to this role, which has fueled Pepper Lunch’s infrastructure development, growth efforts, and brand deliverables, creating a fruitful franchise model for the North American market. Throughout his career, Troy has successfully built new concepts, rebranded existing restaurants, and improved well-established venues for iconic brands. Troy’s decades of experience and business acumen brings a breadth of knowledge to the rapidly growing global brand, Pepper Lunch.

Andy Linke is the Senior Director of Marketing at Ziggi's Coffee, where he leads the brand's marketing strategy, focusing on customer engagement, loyalty programs, and innovative campaigns that drive growth and brand recognition. With a strong background in marketing and a proven track record of success, Andy has been instrumental in expanding Ziggi's Coffee's presence in the competitive coffee industry. Before joining Ziggi's Coffee, Andy held various marketing roles that honed his skills in brand development, digital marketing, and strategic planning. His experience spans across different industries, providing him with a unique perspective on consumer behavior and market trends.

Davide Macchi is the Co-founder & CEO of Due' Cucina, a unique fast-casual concept specializing in authentic Italian pasta. Due' Cucina currently operates four locations in Seattle, WA (with one more on the way) and, following a recent equity round, is about to open three additional units in Texas. Prior to Due’, David worked as a strategy consultant for Kearney, and in a variety of management roles in Australia and the US for Rocket Internet and Amazon. Davide studied media, economics, and business administration at University of Bologna, UC Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his MBA in 2016.

Michael Magerl is President of Trabon Group, a Kansas City-based printing company that works with national restaurant brands to bring their marketing and print needs to life. He graduated from the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business with a degree in Organizational Behavior and Management. Michael has spent over 32 years at Trabon, leading teams in just about every part of the company. With a background in sales, he’s passionate about building new business relationships and exploring technology that helps meet the evolving needs of clients. Outside of work, Michael is a certified yoga instructor and volunteers with the adult special needs community. He brings a mix of energy, curiosity, and heart to everything he does.

Tonya McCoy is a marketing leader who has helped transform Angry Chickz into one of America’s fastest-growing hot chicken brands. With nearly 30 years in foodservice marketing and franchise development, she has driven a 63% increase in territory unit sales and a 1,400% increase in business growth while managing multi-million-dollar campaigns across thousands of locations. Tonya’s community engagement playbook creates 400–500 weekly touchpoints, and her PR efforts earned 108+ placements and 106M+ impressions in six months, propelling Angry Chickz to #44 on QSR’s Top 50 Contenders list. Recognized with multiple industry awards, she builds scalable systems that preserve authenticity, foster franchise collaboration, and drive deep community connection.

Sherif Mityas serves as Chief Executive Officer of BRIX Holdings and as an Operating Partner for JAMCO Interests LLC. He focuses on supporting the group in the areas of strategic positioning, growth, and M&A, while leading the shared services and brand teams of the current portfolio companies of BRIX Holdings, LLC and Amici Partners Group, LLC. Prior to this role, Mityas has held various executive positions in consulting and the retail-restaurant industry sectors most notably as the chief experience officer for TGI FRIDAYS and as the chief executive officer for Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery. Mityas received a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Boston University, a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

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 22 units in the past seven 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. Morgan began his career at Arthur Andersen, is a Certified Public Accountant, and received both his Bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Vanderbilt University.

Gracie Prasanson serves as Vice President of Sales for Jason’s Deli, where she has spent the past 26 years leading the development and expansion of the brand’s off-premises channels. With more than 40 years of experience spanning sales management, operations and off-premises strategy, Gracie brings deep industry expertise and a proven track record of driving sustainable growth. Prior to joining Jason’s Deli, she held leadership roles with nationally recognized restaurant brands including Denny’s, Cracker Barrel and IHOP, further sharpening her operational and sales acumen. In 2022, Gracie achieved Ranger status in Salesforce Trailhead, demonstrating her commitment to innovation and data-driven performance. She has also served for the past five years as a chair on the Off Premise Industry Council, helping shape best practices and forward-thinking strategies across the category.

Brandon Solano, CEO of RAVE Restaurant Group, has revitalized Pizza Inn through a high-impact "Mission 2030" strategy. In 2025, Solano orchestrated the brand’s fastest expansion in 18 years, highlighted by a triple-store launch in just three weeks. By introducing the viral "All You Can $8" buffet promotion and house-made ranch dressing, he achieved 23 consecutive quarters of profitability. A veteran of Domino’s and Wendy’s, Solano’s focus on modernizing unit economics and franchisee profitability has successfully repositioned "America’s Hometown Pizza Place" for sustained global growth.

Darren Spicer is a QSR growth strategist and restaurant culture consultant best known as the Founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar. He launched the drive-thru brand in 2018 after prior experience at Dutch Bros, scaling it to 20 locations (and achieving 38% year-over-year growth in a franchise-dominated industry) before coming full circle and leading the company through acquisition by Dutch Bros in 2026. Clutch became recognized for its elite customer experience, best-in-class beverages, exceptional 84% loyalty rate, and community-driven marketing model. Today, Darren runs 110 ventures and advises emerging and established brands on founder-led scaling, building high-performance teams and culture, brand building & product innovation , growth marketing & optimization, customer loyalty, operational excellence while rapidly scaling, and scaling towards successful exits. A passionate advocate for building people-first organizations, he serves on the advisory board at the University of Oregon and mentors student-athletes. Darren is also the founder of TimeBack Talent Staffing Agency, BDE Energy, and Cowboy MUD BBQ Rub.

Chris Treloar has spent his career exclusively in restaurant operations. With a strong background in multi-unit operations management, team development, and systems innovation, Chris is a visionary leader who has consistently driven success in the food service industry. His dedication to excellence, data-driven decision-making, and people-focused approach make him a standout CEO in the field. His commitment to developing systems and procedures, combined with his strong analytical skills, has left a lasting impact on the organizations he's been a part of.

Along with his two business partners, André Vener co-founded Dog Haus in April 2010, with the mission of elevating stadium food classics into culinary masterworks. Over the last decade, Dog Haus has expanded from its Pasadena, CA, base to nearly 50 locations from coast-to-coast. André and his partners have spearheaded the craft-casual brand’s rapid expansion by forming alliances with leading ghost kitchen networks, an innovative partnership with Live Nation and the 2020 introduction of The Absolute Brands – a suite of virtual restaurant concepts spun off from several of Dog Haus’ signature menu items, such as the Bad Mutha Clucka. André has been interviewed as a restaurant industry expert on multiple national platforms, including CNN, FOX News Channel and MSNBC. He and his Dog Haus partners were featured on the cover of QSR Magazine’s April 2020 edition, and they have been profiled in Entrepreneur magazine, Food & Wine and more.

Erin Walter is the Chief Marketing Officer at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, overseeing strategic marketing initiatives and execution. Erin leads brand, digital, grand-opening, and local-store marketing programs and works closely with cross-functional teams to accelerate Freddy’s marketing footprint. She is passionate about growing brands and teams. Her background includes more than 20 years in the franchise restaurant industry, with chains such as Round Table Pizza, Marble Slab Creamery, and Great American Cookies. Erin is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, a wife, and a mom to three wild boys.

Sam Worobec is co-founder of Training Simplified and a human capital executive with deep experience operating at the highest levels of fast growing organizations. His career spans executive leadership roles at Chipotle, Red Ventures and Nexus Executive Search, where he has lead every facet of Human Resources including executive assessment, talent strategy, and leadership development at scale. Sam is an operator who has built the systems that develop leaders from within, resulting in the growth of thousands of frontline employees into managers and executives. Through Training Simplified, he brings together real world executive leadership and proven training frameworks to help organizations build internal pipelines, strengthen culture, and deliver results through people.