The Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) announced its Second Annual GGRA Industry Conference from April 11–12 at the Bently Reserve in downtown San Francisco. Industry conference registration and early bird tickets are now on sale through the organization’s website. Benefitting the organization’s scholarship foundation, this year’s Industry Conference theme is “San Francisco Bay Area: Forging the Future of Dining,” which will highlight San Francisco as a longstanding culinary trendsetter that has inspired farm to table, local, and seasonal eating, as well as lead the way with increased minimum wage, and other progressive regulations and mandates.
In celebration of the GGRA’s 80th Anniversary, the two-day conference will bring together industry leaders and veterans from the Bay Area hospitality industry as well as leading restaurateurs from across the nation to educate and engage conference attendees through keynote speeches, business panels, and technique classes. This year’s presenters include Drew Nieporent (Myriad Restaurant Group), Sabato Sagaria (Union Square Hospitality Group), Dennis Leary (Pleiades Group), Larry Stone (Lingua Franca Wines), Stuart Brioza (State Bird Provisions),David Lawrence (1300 on Fillmore and Black Bark BBQ), Russ Stein (Mozzeria), and Mohanned Malhi (Department of Health), among others.
Industry conference panels will cover a wide range of subjects including marketing, operations and finance, and human resources. Some topics include:The Tipping Point: Take Two. Continuing the discussion about tipping practices; Industry of Opportunity: Examining unique and diverse hiring practices and the employment crisis; Redefining the Cocktail: How to elevate your beverage program and drive revenue with a limited liquor license; Impact of Global Warming on Your Menu & Bottom-Line; Food Safety: What are the top risks and how do you protect your restaurant; The Alternative to Full Service Restaurants: Why “Quality Casual” may be San Francisco’s new normal; The Landscape of Payment Processing and EMV Technology; Labor Lessons 101, a refresher on the important labor laws that every restaurateur must know: HCSO, meal breaks, rest periods, paid sick leave and more.
The Chefs Professional Development Series (presented by TriMark Economy Restaurant Fixtures) will demonstrate practical skills for those working in restaurants and include:Foie Gras 101 with Chef Jack Mancino of Hudson Valley Foie Gras; Making the Cut with Chef John Fink of The Whole Beast; Sushi Skills Seminar with Chef Taka Toshi of Sushi Ran; Sharpening Flavor Memory with Chef Gordon Drysdale of Scoma’s.
Registration is open and early bird pricing is now available through March 15. Two-day tickets are $125 for GGRA restaurant members, $175 for non-member restaurants, $250 for GGRA vendors’ members, and $500 for non-GGRA vendors. Space is limited with some single day tickets available for restaurant employees. Conference passes includes access to keynote speeches, business panels, demonstrations, coffee and pastries, lunch and a networking reception. The Chefs Professional Development Series is priced separately, $25 per class for GGRA restaurant members, $35 per class for non-member restaurants. All Chefs Professional Classes qualify as continuing education credits by the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
