In a business environment where restaurant brands are compelled to use discretion when discussing their operational practices, the Fast Casual Executive Summit is challenging concepts to do just the opposite.
Billed for the last three years as a program designed to promote industry collaboration, this year's Summit, Sept. 14-15 at the Hotel Palomar in Dallas, is again encouraging operators to share with one another their industry challenges and the best ways operators can overcome them.
"This collaboration is exactly what I am hoping for," said Al Bakta, CEO of Dallas-based Genghis Grill. "With the Summit being so exclusive and directed, it promotes collaboration. Most operators are willing to help other operators out as long as they are not direct competitors."
This year's Summit will include an extra half day of sessions and two keynote addresses. Dean Lindsay, author of "The Progress Challenge," will deliver the first address Sept. 14 during the opening Modern Idea Lunch. Sue Morelli, CEO of Au Bon Pain, will present the second keynote, "Getting Inside the Mind of the Savvy Consumer," during the breakfast keynote Sept. 15.
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Programs and agenda
The Summit will informally begin Sept. 13 with a food tour throughout three Dallas neighborhoods, South Lake, Frisco and Uptown. The tour is open to up to 35 fast casual executives and will include stops at concepts such as Mooyah, Vapiano and Red Mango.
The tour is designed to introduce fast casual executives to brands that might not be open across all markets.
"It's to help restaurateurs understand what is going on in the segment and to network with industry peers," said Paul Barron, Summit organizer and publisher of FastCasual.com. "We tried to pick concepts that were unique or indigenous to Dallas. Most of the operators are coming from all over the country and might not have some of these restaurants in their area."
The brand exchange session on Sept. 15 is an hour workgroup designed to concurrently take an in-depth look at eight industry topics. Each table is assigned a topic to discuss and then presents to the group ways operators can overcome their topic's challenge.
Husein Kitabwalla, president of Retail Brand Group, said the caliber of people and ideas presented at the Summit is a big boost to attendees. He attended the Summit for the first time in 2008.
"As a newcomer, I felt very comfortable," he said. "I was an unknown entity until I showed up there. Five to seven years ago people didn't even know what fast casual was. Now, everybody is talking about it. We have a unique chance to put our fingerprints on the blueprint (of the segment)."
Agenda
Sept 14
- Noon – 1:30 p.m. — Keynote and Modern Idea Lunch: Creative Minds Think Alike by Dean Lindsay
- 1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. — Break & Power Info Session 1
- 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Learning the New Financial Business Model for the Restaurant Industry. Speakers: Jim Greco, CEO, Bruegger's; Louis Basile, CEO & president, Wildflower Bread Company. Moderator: Valerie Killifer, senior editor, Fast Casual
- Break & Power Info Session 2
- 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Brand Builders Speakers: Ed Frechette, VP of Marketing, Au Bon Pain; Dan Kim, CEO, Red Mango; Patrick Benisillo, CEO, VGS Moderator: Linda Duke, CEO, Duke Marketing
- 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Hosted dinner party
Sept 15
- 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. — Breakfast keynote: Getting inside the Mind of the Savvy Consumer. Sue Morelli, CEO, Au Bon Pain
- 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. — Fast Casual Brain Exchange Roundtable sessions based on topics of interest such as menu development and team dynamics
- Break & Power Info Session 3
- 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. — Internet Marketing Real-Time & the Power of Social Media. Speakers: Paul Barron, EVP, NetWorld Alliance; Boris Bugarski, CEO, Murgent; Alan Hixon, president, Mooyah Moderator: Valerie Killifer, senior editor, Fast Casual
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. — Culinary Experience for the Innovators. Speakers: TBA
- 12:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. — It's Not Just Lunch-FCA and NRA Address. Speakers: Paul Barron, EVP, NetWorld Alliance; Louis Basile, CEO & president, Wildflower Bread Company; James Balda, NRA
- 1:30 p.m. 3 p.m. — Sustainability Takes New Track to Profit Line. Speakers: TBA Moderator: Valerie Killifer, senior editor, Fast Casual
- Break & Power Info Session 4
- 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. — CEO Roundtable-Leading Your Business from Good to Great. Speakers: Don Fox, COO, Firehouse Subs; others TBA Moderator: Paul Barron, EVP, NetWorld Alliance
