From a “Welcome to Atlanta” celebration with Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy on the first night to a Yum! Brands roundtable opening keynote, the agenda is stacked for FSR‘s 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁—which is again co-located with the QSR Evolution (one ticket gets you access to both, plus the Pizza Power Forum) September 2–4 in Atlanta. Check out the QSR Evolution agenda here.
I wanted to run through highlights on the full-service side.
Day 1
For day one, we start off with a panel about 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀—an ever-evolving topic that has never been more relevant for restaurants than today. StarryEyed Strategy CEO & founder Elizabeth Seelye will moderate this session of top-tier leaders including:
- Scott Lawton, Co-founder & Chairman | bartaco
- Caroline Skinner, COO | Tupelo Honey
- Cai Palmiter, MBA, Marketing Consultant | JINYA Ramen Bar , Gen Korean BBQ House, and more
- Monte Silva, CEO & Partner | Ten Tables Hospitality
- Bruce Reinstein, Partner | Kinetic12, LLC
Then, Liz Moskow will dive into 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵-𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺. The food futurist and founder of saase will explore how tech can revolutionize front-of-house operations in a dynamic presentation format.
Following lunch, we’re bringing our 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 panel back, with:
- Toni Ronayne, President | Perkins American Food Co.
- Elizabeth Brasch, EVP, Marketing | Mellow Mushroom
- Roberta Frierson, SVP, Information Tech & Digital Strategy | Bar Louie
- Kristen Hohl, SVP, Marketing | SPB Hospitality
- Reem Fahoum, VP, Marketing | Heritage Restaurant Brands
- Moderated by Jennifer Loper, President | C3 | Creative Consumer Concepts
Later that afternoon, a panel on 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 brings together leaders revitalizing iconic restaurants, including:
- Vicki Hormann, Executive Director, Off-Premise | Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar
- Paul Mangiamele CFE, Founder/Chairman & CEO | Legendary Restaurant Brands (Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale)
- Geo Concepcion, President & CEO | The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille
- Ahsan Jiva, EVP, Strategy and Transformation | Mellow Mushroom
- Mindy Armstrong, VP, Menu Innovation | Ascent Hospitality Management (Perkins and Huddle House)
Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud will give the closing keynote on day one before a Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL) networking reception that will flow directly into a Speakeasy Soiree … stay tuned for more fun details.
Day 2
Day two at NextGen kicks off with a panel on 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆—perhaps one of the biggest challenges for operators today—moderated by our dear friend and industry superstar Eleni Kouvatsos Gates of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. The session will feature tips, tricks, and effective strategies for creating a workplace culture that not only attracts top talent, but empowers employees to thrive in their roles and builds meaningful career pathways from top leaders including:
- Mike Stasko, President at Sunny Street Cafe
- Chad Offerdahl, CEO at The Big Biscuit
- Jason Brooks, Chief Operating Officer at Artistry Restaurants
- Rachel Richal, CHT, VP of Training at Buffalo Wild Wings
- Jonathan Weathington, CEO at Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar
Next up, we’ve got a super timely topic: 𝗢𝘇𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰’𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘂, moderated by Tricia Houston at KS&R with insights from:
- Barb Stuckey, Chief Innovation & Marketing Officer at Mattson: Innovation for the Food & Beverage Industry
- Brent Berkowitz, COO at Olive & Finch Collective
- Steve Palmer, Founder and Chief Vision Officer at The Indigo Road Hospitality Group
In the afternoon, we’ll bring back a popular topic from last year: 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗿, which will cover how operators are keeping pace with evolving consumer preferences when it comes to beverage programs, featuring:
- Alex Berentzen, COO at Thompson Restaurants
- Roman Maliszewski, Founder and CEO of Tapster
- Peter Kiley, Brewmaster/Co-Owner of Monday Night Brewing
- Raymond Tremblay, Beverage Director at COJE Management Group
- Moderated by Scott Taylor, CFE, CEO at Cherry Bounce Hospitality
Before the closing keynote—which we just announced will be sweetgreen CEO and co-founder Jonathan Neman—we’ll have a panel on 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 moderated by Talia Solomon with:
- Melissa Walsh, Brand Insights Manager at First Watch Restaurants
- Christine Lorusso, VP at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
- Victor Fernandez, Chief Insights Officer at Black Box Intelligence
- Andrew Glantz, Founder & CEO of GiftAMeal
- Yana Bushoy, VP at Marlo Marketing
There’s much more to share on the agenda, which you can explore at the links below. I highly recommend registering early, as we’ve sold out this event every year! Hope to see you there.
