Global Innovation: Is Your Menu on Trend?

PANEL SESSION / THURSDAY / 20 JULY 2017 / 12:15 PM

Restaurants that offer new flavors and menu items before their customers even realize they want them will not only win with millennials, but diners of all ages. This session will break down the world’s food trends to help you provide this year’s must-have menu offerings. What’s the next salted caramel or the new sriracha? We’ll tell you!

PANELISTS

Dr. Saleh Alfuraih | Owner | iBurgEr

With a passion for creativity and innovation, Dr. Saleh Alfuraih chose to start a new chain of food restaurants called iBurgEr, one of the youngest and best positioned brands in the Saudi food business industry. Currently, important places like airports and universities are sending invitations for iBurgEr to open branches there. Saleh’s innovation and creativity did not stop with the quality of the food but also spread to the equipment selection, the branding and packaging, and last but not least to the overall restaurant atmosphere. As per the wish of the founder, his aim is to have iBurgEr as one of the best international brands, available in many countries, famous for its food quality and menu variety and hopefully very soon it will go public.

Andrew Gruel | CEO & Founder | Slapfish

Andrew Gruel, a graduate of Johnson & Wales University, is currently the CEO and Founder of Slapfish Restaurant Group, the award-winning food truck turned international brick and mortar, based out of Huntington Beach, CA and Co-Owner of Butterleaf Restaurant and Two Birds Chicken. Andrew has appeared on multiple television series including his most recent role as a judge on Food Network’s Chopped Junior. He was recently the Host of FYI Series “Say It To My Face” as well as a judge on Food Network’s “Food Truck Face Off.” He has made appearances on the TODAY show, PBS, Cooking Channel, and has been featured in numerous publications.

Steven Novick | Founder | Farmstand

Steven grew up in a working class family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin across the street from a farm. Survived cancer in 2006 and set (and has now achieved) three goals: become closer to friends and family; see the world (finish climbing the Seven Summits including Everest); and start a healthy food business.

Farmstand is a healthy and sustainable food tech company founded in London in January 2016. The company offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks. They operate 17 multi-format Farmstands in London. They sell their products via 3 distribution channels: their fast-casual restaurant, at corporates and online. The Telegraph recently described Farmstand as being “at the vanguard” of a unique capital light business model.

MODERATOR

Cherryh Cansler | Managing Editor | FastCasual.com

Before joining Networld Media Group as Director of Editorial, where she oversees NetWorld Media Group’s nine B2B publications, Cherryh Cansler served as Content Specialist at Barkley ad agency in Kansas City. Throughout her 17-year career as a journalist, she’s written about a variety of topics, ranging from the restaurant industry and technology to health and fitness news. Her byline has appeared in a plethora of newspapers, magazines and websites, including Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine. She also serves as the managing editor for FastCasual.com.

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