March 11-13, 2025 | Myrtle Beach, SC — Price increases by $150 after December 13. Register Now
AGENDA
WEDNESDAY / MARCH 30, 2022
3:00 pm | Registration opens
4:00 pm | Welcome
Opening Remarks
• Cherryh Cansler | VP of Events | Networld Media Group
4:10 pm | Keynote Session
Behind the Deal with FAT Brands and Fazoli’s
FAT Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn and Fazoli’s CEO Carl Howard will discuss overall growth and innovation in the restaurant category as well as what buoyed their success during a volatile time for many in the space. They will also discuss what made Fazoli’s such a great prospect for FAT Brands and why Fazoli’s wanted to join forces with FAT Brands.
Keynote Speakers:
• Andy Wiederhorn | President & CEO | FAT Brands
• Carl Howard | President & CEO | Fazoli’s
- Sponsored by 7shifts
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Carl Howard
President & CEO
Fazoli’s
4:10 pm | Keynote Session
Restaurant Strategy and Execution in a Post-Covid World: The Evolution of Store Management, Footprint, and Technology to Meet the New Reality
Beto Guajardo, the president of Focus Brands International, will share his personal and professional lessons in business growth, innovation and leadership. He will provide concrete takeaways on how to partner with stakeholders, prioritize what matters and stay close to the customer. Beto will speak about ways to implement changes that positively impact the business in constrained operating environments and competitive marketplaces.
Speaker:
• Beto Guajardo | President | Focus Brands International
- Sponsored by Immediate
5:00 – 8:00 pm | Networking
Casino Night to Benefit Core
Join us at the start of the Summit for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a variety of games as well as an opportunity to raise money for CORE.
CORE: CHILDREN OF RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES
CORE is a national non-profit dedicated to serving food and beverage operations employees with children to provide financial relief when either the employee or their child faces a health crisis, injury, death, or natural disaster. CORE grants in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico. Each grant is based on need and may range from $500 to $4,000.
THURSDAY / MARCH 31, 2022
8:00 am | Registration & Breakfast
8:45 am | Breakfast Briefing
Session Topic – Coming Soon!
7:45 am | Breakfast Briefing
Transforming the Restaurant IT Network with SD-Branch
Presenter:
• Chase Mullican | Regional Director of Sales | Netsurion
- Sponsored by Netsurion
PRESENTER
Chase Mullican
Regional Director of Sales
Netsurion
9:00 am | General Session
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.
Presenters:
Five Pain Points, Four Wins
• Josh Halpern | CEO | Big Chicken
Reimagining the Labor Force
• Blaine Hurst | Retired Vice Chairman & CEO | Panera Bread
10:00 am | Refreshment Break
10:30 am | Breakout Session
Automating the Franchisee Lifecycle
Vetting, onboarding, training and tracking franchisee progress are imperative to running a successful brand, but they are also expensive and time consuming.
What if there were ways to cut both the costs and the labor associated with managing franchisees? Well, there are several, according to our panelists who will share their go-to strategies.
Panelists:
• Craig Sherwood | Vice President, U.S. Development | Little Caesars
• Jim Sullivan | Chief Development Officer | Qdoba
• Susan Taylor | President & CEO | Juice It Up!
- Sponsored by Leasecake
10:30 am | Breakout Session
Labor Shortages? AI to the Rescue!
Labor shortages got you down? Have no fear; AI is here. Learn which types of technology can help operators fill in unemployment gaps left on the front line, at the drive-thru and the back of house.
Panelists:
• Dave Craig | Vice President, Human Resources | Fazoli’s
• Phil Crawford | Chief Technology Officer | CKE Restaurants
• Sean Kennedy | President & CEO | Cowboy Chicken
Moderator:
• Rob Carpenter | CEO & Founder | Valyant AI
- Sponsored by Valyant AI
11:15 am | Refreshment Break
11:45 am | Breakout Session
Marketing With Limited Resources
As nice as it sounds, we can’t all have the marketing budgets of Chipotle, Subway and McDonald’s, but that doesn’t mean your brand can’t capture customer engagement.
These marketing gurus will share some innovative and inexpensive ways they’ve attracted a lot of attention (and dollars) for their brands
Panelists:
• Andrew Koumi | Owner | Green Market Cafe
• Kyle Noonan | Owner & CEO | Free Range Concepts
• Lily Saer | Marketing Manager | The Saxton Group
- Sponsored by SOCi
11:45 am | Breakout Session
Dog vs Chicken Showdown
CJ Ramirez of Dog Haus and Big Chicken’s Sam Stanovich will take on some of the industry’s hot-button topics.
No chairs, no podiums, just food for thought!
Panelists:
• CJ Ramirez | EVP & Marketing Director | Dog Haus
• Sam Stanovich | SVP of Development & Alliances | Big Chicken
Moderator:
• Zack Oates | Founder & CEO | Ovation
- Sponsored by Ovation
12:30 pm | Lunch & Learn
12:00 pm | Lunch & Learn
Dispelling the Myths and Skepticism Surrounding Ventless Kitchens
Presenter:
• Scott Heim | President | Middleby Ventless Solutions & Evo America
- Sponsored by Middleby Corporation
PRESENTER
Scott Heim
President
Middleby Ventless Solutions & Evo America
1:30 pm | Breakout Session
Streamlining Your Hiring Process to Cut Drop-out Rates
Gone are the days when job seekers would jump through hoops for the chance to work for your brand. With labor shortages affecting nearly every industry, it’s imperative to make the hiring and onboarding processes quick and as easy as possible. This session will explore a variety of ways to use technology to do just that. Experts will discuss everything from making it easier for candidates to post their info and drug testing them to performing background checks and tracking vaccine status and policy and program review and development.
Panelists:
• Steve Felson | VP of Operations | Bonchon
Moderator:
• Marc Bourne | Director, Background Screening Services | FSSolutions
- Sponsored by FSSolutions
1:30 pm | Breakout Session
Money Hungry: Remodels, Acquisitions and Build-outs
You know what they say, you have to spend money to make money, but where does that money come from? This panel centers around how to help franchisees raise money to grow their footprints.
Panelists:
• Clifton Rutledge | CEO | Shipley Do-Nuts
• Jeff Sturgis | Chief Development Officer | Another Broken Egg Cafe
2:15 pm | Refreshment Break
2:45 pm | Breakout Session
Taking (Back) Control of Customer Data
Third-party delivery companies and ghost kitchens have made it possible for brands of all sizes to offer delivery, but it’s not always profitable. Restaurants getting it right are finding ways to not only capture customer data but also entice them to order from their own channels as opposed to the UberEats and GrubHubs of the world.
Panelists:
• Claiborne Irby | SVP, Customer Engagement & Strategy | Focus Brands
• Aaron Noveshen | CEO, Starbird / Founder & Chairman, The Culinary Edge
- Sponsored by Lunchbox
2:45 pm | Breakout Session
Tech Troubles
Systems that don’t talk to one another, complicated user systems, outdated hardware and expensive upgrades are just a few of the headaches caused by technology in the restaurant industry. Ditching it all, however, isn’t an option, so what are your options when it comes to tackling your tech issues?
Our techies weigh in!
Panelists:
• Liz Bazner | Director of Digital | A&W Restaurants
• Jason Breazeale | Director, Architecture & Innovation | Denny’s
• Michael Mohammed | CEO | Chronic Tacos
• David Roberts | Chief Information Officer | Cicis Enterprises
- Sponsored by Atmosphere
3:30 pm | Refreshment Break
3:45 – 5:00 pm | General Session
Prove Your Case!
Operators hear pitches all the time about products and services that will grow their business, but where’s the proof? We’ve got it right here. This session includes four 15-minute presentations, each featuring one vendor and one operator sharing the how, when and ROI behind recent rollouts.
PRESENTERS:
• Benjamin Brown | Vice President of Marketing | ConverseNow
- Sponsored by ConverseNow
6:00 – 9:00 pm | Offsite Event
Dinner Party
Join us at the World-Famous Wildhorse Saloon, an entertainment venue featuring southern smokehouse cuisine, line dancing, mechanical bull riding, live music, cocktails and true southern hospitality. Cowboy up!
- Sponsored by 7shifts
6:00 – 9:00 pm | Offsite Dinner Party
The Painted Pin
After a full day of informative and inspiring sessions, get ready for an evening of great food, conversation and fun at The Painted Pin!
The Painted Pin is an upscale boutique bar, bowling and entertainment venue with 20 full-service lanes in an industrial warehouse space in the heart of Buckhead’s Miami Circle. In addition to bowling, complimentary classic interactive games including indoor bocce ball, table shuffleboard, ping pong, skeeball, southern skittles, giant Jenga, bimini ring toss and oversized basketball pop-a-shots are available.
This private dinner party is included with your Summit registration at no additional cost. Transportation will be provided.
- Sponsored by Immediate
FRIDAY / APRIL 1, 2022
8:00 am | Breakfast
8:45 am | Breakfast Briefing
Session Topic – Coming Soon!
8:45 am | Breakfast Briefing
All the Right Restaurant Performance Metrics to Track
PRESENTER:
• Mandi Wooledge | President & COO | Decision Logic
- Sponsored by Decision Logic
PRESENTER
Mandi Wooledge
President & COO
Decision Logic
9:00 am | General Session
Brain Exchange
The Brain Exchange breaks attendees into small groups to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing restaurant operators today. These informal group discussions allow attendees to learn from one another’s mistakes and successes.
- Sponsored by 86 Repairs | UKG | Workstream
2022 Brain Exchange Topics:
• EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE | Sponsored by UKG
9:00 am | General Session
Brain Exchange
The Brain Exchange breaks attendees into small groups to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing restaurant operators today. These informal group discussions allow attendees to learn from one another’s mistakes and successes.
Brain Exchange Topics:
• CONTROLLING COSTS | Sponsored by MarketMan
• DELIVERY | Sponsored by Restaurant365
• DRIVING VISITS & SALES | Sponsored by GroundTruth
• FRANCHISEE MARKETING ENGAGEMENT | Sponsored by Vya
• GUEST EXPERIENCE | Sponsored by DTiQ
• LABOR | Sponsored by Workstream
• LOYALTY | Sponsored by Chatmeter
• OMNICHANNEL ORDERING/CATERING | Sponsored by ItsaCheckmate
10:00 am | Refreshment Break
10:30 am | Breakout Session
What if the (Menu) Price Is Wrong?
Food costs aren’t getting any cheaper, but does that mean you can pass it on to your customer? And who decides the price: Marketing or Finance? Also, when is it time to raise prices?
Our experts answer all of these and more!
Panelists:
• Diane Matheson | VP of Marketing | Wings and Rings
• Tony Reaman | CFO | Luna Grill
• Chris Sasser | VP of Finance & Analytics | Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Moderator:
• Ted Babcock | VP, Menu & Pricing Analytics | Personica
- Sponsored by Personica
10:30 am | Breakout Session
Sipping Into Higher Sales With Beverage Innovation
Customers are more interested now than ever in treating themselves to innovative beverages while dining out, according to December 2021 research from The National Restaurant Association. The group predicted that flavored sparkling waters, seltzers, spicy-rimmed cocktails and CBD-infused beverages to gain popularity in 2022, but creating such intricate drinks for mass consumption could be quite the challenge for restaurants suffering labor shortages. This session will discuss how to quench the consumer’s thirst despite fewer workers and rising supply costs.
Moderator:
• Mario Paysse | VP of Sales | Botrista
- Sponsored by Botrista
11:15 am | Refreshment Break
11:45 am | Breakout Session
Making Your Brand the Place To Be
Attracting employees and inspiring them to stay can feel a bit like bribing your teenager to spend time with you, but it shouldn’t have to feel as demoralizing. The “employee whisperers” on this panel will share specific ways they have helped employees love their brands. And like any good parent of a teen, they’ll be sure to share a few mistakes learned along the way.
Panelists:
• Stacey Kane | Restaurant Marketing Consultant
• Carrie Martin | VP of Operations Services | Mr Brews Taphouse
• Zach Vouga | President, COO & Co-Founder | Plant Power Restaurant Group
- Sponsored by 7shifts
11:45 am | Breakout Session
Finding Middle Ground: Franchisees and Franchisors Weigh In
Franchising is obviously the fastest path to growth, but only if the operations model is solid and the franchisor is willing to work alongside their franchisees throughout the process. The franchisee, of course, must be willing to take advice and criticism.
This session brings together franchisees and franchisors, who have met one another halfway on the road to expansion. They will share the good, the bad and the ugly about their journey to success.
Panelists:
• Justin Bartek | Marketing Director | JINYA Holdings
• Adenah Bayoh | Founder, Franchisee | Cornbread, IHOP
• Kristen Briede | VP of International & Global Brands | P.F. Chang’s
• Amy Ohde | Executive Director, Launch Support | Chick-fil-A
- Sponsored by Hyperlocology
12:30 pm | Lunch & Learn
Session Topic – Coming Soon!
- Sponsored by Uberall
12:00 pm | Lunch & Learn
How to Level up and Meet the Moment
Bob Vergidis is the founder and Chief Visionary at The Point of Sale Cloud. For the over 30 years his focus has been to identify future trends and help restaurants be one step ahead.
In this session he will discuss how in just one year, the COVID-19 experience has moved the restaurant business 15 years into the future and what that means for what is coming next. He will share future trends for store format, team member management, technology, and more with practical examples to help your business level up and be ready to take advantage of future trends.
Presenter:
• Bob Vergidis | Founder/Chief Visionary | The Point of Sale Cloud
- Sponsored by The Point of Sale Cloud
PRESENTER
Bob Vergidis
Founder/Chief Visionary
The Point of Sale Cloud
1:30 pm | Refreshment Break
1:30 pm | Breakout Session
Attracting Multi-Unit Franchisees
Franchising is all about growing a brand’s presence, but while some brands thrive at capturing the attention of successful multi-unit operators, others fall flat. But why? What is missing from those brands’ operations model that just can’t seem to get it right? This panel of franchisors and franchisees will tell you.
Panelists:
• Rafik Farouk | Sr. Director of Global Business Development | PF Changs
• Drew Kellogg | CEO | Oath Pizza
Moderator:
• Brett Berger | VP of Sales | SynergySuite
- Sponsored by SynergySuite
1:30 pm | Breakout Session
Revving Up Your Drive-Thru Experience
The pandemic elevated the importance of a fast, accurate and friendly drive-thru experience and established it as the primary touchpoint for many brands. The key for restaurant operators, however, is to balance their ability to provide an elevated and efficient drive-thru customer experience while maintaining high food quality, continuing to serve dine-in and curbside guests, as well as keeping internal theft in check, given the constraints of today’s QSR labor shortages. This session will explore the variety of processes, platforms and technologies available to help restaurants speed up wait times, increase order accuracy, maximize sales volume, and ultimately delight customers at the drive-thru.
Panelists:
• John Ramsay | Vice President Franchise Sales | Noodles & Company
- Sponsored by Envysion
2:15 pm | Refreshment Break
2:30 pm | General Session
Franchising Think Tank
This panel, packed with CEOs and franchisors, will talk about the latest issues of the day and what it takes to succeed in franchising.
Panelists:
• Tom Gordon | CEO | Slim Chickens
• Rob McColgan | Co-Founder & CEO | Modern Restaurant Concepts
• Mandy Shaw | CEO | Blaze Pizza
• Nick Vojnovic | President & Majority Partner | Little Greek
- Sponsored by Voxie
3:30 pm | Summit adjourns
