March 24-26, 2024 | Kansas City, MO — Early Bird registration ends Nov. 17. Register Now

AGENDA

SUNDAY // MARCH 24, 2024


| Registration

Registration Opens

All attendees, sponsors and speakers must check in at the registration desk and pick up a name badge. Please wear your badge at all times during the Summit.

| Welcome & Opening Remarks
Host:
  • Cherryh Cansler | Vice President of Events | Networld Media Group


| Opening Keynote

Session Topic – Coming Soon!


| Networking

Give-Back Party & Opening Reception

Join us for a community give-back Party. We’ll then celebrate the opening of the Summit with cocktails, appetizers and live music.


MONDAY // MARCH 25, 2024


| Registration

Registration & Breakfast

Breakfast is open to all Summit participants. Be sure to check in at the registration desk and pick up your name badge if you haven’t already.

| Breakfast Briefing

Session Topic – Coming Soon!


| 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 invigorated and inspired.
Presenters:
  • Tom Gordon | Co-Founder & CEO | Slim Chickens
  • Beto Guajardo | CEO | Blaze Pizza
  • Ryan Maybee | Co-Founder & Managing Director | J. Rieger & Co.


| Refreshment Break

| Breakout Session

Robotics & AI: Fleeting Fad or Here to Stay?

Restaurants around the world are testing robotics and AI, which are often lumped together but not exactly the same thing. Robotics deals with the development of robots, which can be automatic or need initial instructions from humans, while AI develops software that can perform tasks usually done by humans, such as decision-making, problem solving and logical reasoning. Automating tasks people don’t want to do or are dangerous seems like a no-brainer, but using it in the wrong areas is just as dangerous as ignoring it. Our experts reveal how to accomplish long- and short-term goals by choosing the most appropriate applications as well as finding ways to lower costs.
Panelist:
  • Scott Ford | President & Co-CEO | Hawaiian Bros Island Grill

| Breakout Session

What’s New at the Drive-Thru?

There was obviously a surge in drive-thru business during COVID, but where do we stand now? Also, which tech enhancements are here to stay, which are actually worth the investment and how do you know when it’s time to enhance your service model? Experts weigh in.

| Refreshment Break

| Breakout Session

Scaling Up: From Small Start-up to Full Growth Mode

You have an amazing concept and you feel like operations are solid enough to start franchising, but what’s the next step? Founders and franchisees join forces to teach you where to go.
Panelists:
  • Craig Haley | President | Smokey Mo’s TX BBQ
  • Andrew Pudalov | Founder & CEO | Rush Bowls

| Breakout Session

Time to Fly: Exploring Unfamiliar Lands

Most brands will agree having a solid footprint in their home market is imperative before exploring international deals, but there are times when it’s necessary to focus on both at the same time. Brand execs who have taken the leap will share what they’ve learned and what they should have done differently.
Panelists:
  • Nate Fowler | Brand President | Long John Silver's
  • Glenn Moon | Vice President, U.S. Development | Moxies
  • Kevin Moran | Chief Development Officer | Blaze Pizza
  • Sam Rothschild | COO | Slim Chickens


| Lunch & Learn

Reducing Food Waste AND Boosting Profits: It’s Possible!

Restaurant brands produce nearly 11.4 tons of food waste each year, leading to $25 billion in losses for the industry. Although waste is seen as an avoidable consequence of operating a restaurant, cutting it is imperative, not only for the environment but also for a brand’s bottom line. This session will explore how the right technology and processes in place can help restaurants track inventory from delivery to preparation and drive consistency with forecasting, predictive ordering and recipe management.

Panelist:
  • Dan Harmon | CEO | Playa Bowls


| Breakout Session

Transforming Data into Your Super Power

Restaurants should be wielding data as their CX super power. After all, it’s everywhere from the restaurant floor and kitchen to customer communication channels, and every bit and byte plays a role in driving an enhanced customer experience. Learn how brands, big and small, are gathering critical insight and using it to not only boost both customer relationships and the store associate role but also attain operational greater efficiencies.
| Breakout Session

Improving Catering Operations with Tech & Human Touch

The global catering services market size is estimated to grow by $103.28 billion by 2027, which means restaurant brands have a chance to grab a piece of the action. Success, however, depends on a variety of factors, including the introduction of new menus, increasing promotional initiatives and tapping the right types of technology to manage it all.

| Refreshment Break

| Breakout Session

Hands off: Are Autonomous Restaurants the Future?

As airports become more comfortable with human-free stores, such as Amazon Walk Out, some restaurants and companies are entering the “restaurant market.” Vending machines, for example, that offer fresh and affordable food without human chefs are disrupting the market. This session explores the trend.
| Breakout Session

Predicting the Future of Restaurant Delivery

Although over 112 million Americans have used a food delivery service and the food delivery market is expected to reach $1.45 trillion by 2027, delivery has slowed down since the days of COVID-19 when it served as a lifeline for many restaurant concepts. So what’s next in this anything goes era? Restaurants are not only making their own deliveries as well as tapping third parties, they are also exploring drones AI-ordering and a variety of other technologies to keep costs down and demand up.

Panelists:
  • Loren Bontrager | Vice President of Franchise and Development | MAD Greens
  • Desi Saran | Founder & CEO | Sweetberry


| Refreshment Break

| 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.

| Offsite Event

Dinner Party

This private dinner party is included with your Summit registration at no additional cost. Transportation will be provided.



TUESDAY // MARCH 26, 2024


| Breakfast and General Session

Brain Exchange

Grab your breakfast and join us for small group discussions about four of the most pressing issues facing restaurant operators today. These informal group discussions allow attendees to learn from one another’s mistakes and successes.

| General Session

Discovery 30:

This 30-minute speed round will feature four 5-minute pitches about products and services designed to improve operations and the customer experience.

| Refreshment Break

| Breakout Session

What’s the Deal with Dynamic Pricing?

Dynamic pricing, the process of regularly adjusting the pricing of menu items to match the current level of demand, may sound like a headache, but just like your restaurant has peak times, so do food items and pricing should reflect this. This session features restaurant execs discussing why they’ve adopted dynamic pricing and its pros and cons.
| Breakout Session

Franchising in the Family: Great Idea or Recipe for Disaster?

Restaurateurs often view their businesses as their legacies, passing them down from generation to generation. Many others, however, run their companies alongside family as opposed to waiting to hand off the baton after retirement. Others launch new companies together. This session looks at the pros and cons of doing business with your family.
Panelist:
  • Jeff Rinke | Vice President of Marketing | Hungry Howie’s


| Refreshment Break

| General Session

Session Topic – Coming Soon!


| Lunch & Learn

Session Topic – Coming Soon!


| Breakout Session

Why Your Loyalty Program Isn’t Working

Most restaurants have at least some type of loyalty program, but very few make it to Starbucks-level success. Ever wonder why? This panel will dive into what works and what falls flat when it comes to engaging customers.
| Breakout Session

Session Topic – Coming Soon!


| Refreshment Break

| 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. This session will definitely be worth staying until the end of the Summit.
Panelists:
  • Michelle Bythewood | President | Nation’s Giant Hamburgers
  • Sara Carhart | Vice President of Operations | SPIN! Pizza
  • Troy Hooper | CEO | Hot Palette Holdings
  • Rob McColgan | Co-Founder & CEO | Modern Restaurant Concepts


| Summit adjourns


View 2023 Agenda

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Take Your Team to the Summit!

Restaurant/Foodservice Operators who register two attendees may add a third attendee at no additional cost.

Group discount does not apply to Franchise Brokers/Consultants or Vendors.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza

To reserve your room, call 1-816-756-1500.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Connect with Restaurant Execs

Sponsoring the Summit will put you in meaningful conversations with executives in your target market.

Download the Sponsor Prospectus to learn more.