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Workshops play integral role during NRA Show
April 22, 2009 - Valerie Killifer
With today's struggling economy, it's tough to know if the time is right to franchise an independent restaurant brand.
During the 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 16-19 at Chicago's McCormick Place, topics such as that will be highlighted during one of 65 educational sessions held throughout the show.
The session, "Is Franchising Right for You?" will be given by Lane Fisher, CFE, partner, Fisher & Zucker LLC, and Mark Siebert, CEO of iFranchise Group. The session will cover how franchising might be the best way to expand and strengthen a restaurant brand, along with the process of a building a new franchise system.
The session will be held May 16 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in Room S405 and is part of the show's profitability and entrepreneurship educational track.
This year, show organizers developed their educational sessions into different tracks for easy navigation, covering industry issues related to sustainability, profitability, food and healthy living, jobs and careers, and technology, said Mary Pat Heftman, the NRA's executive vice president of Convention.
"We're confident attendees will walk away equipped with information and inspiration to enhance their restaurant operations," she said. "What's more, they can convert this knowledge into immediate action on the exhibit floor and find the products and services needed to realize their new business ideas and know-how."
Created around the sustainability track is the session, "Cutting Edge Developments in Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation." The session will be held May 18 at 2 p.m. and features Vaughan Lazar, president and co-founder of Pizza Fusion.
Lazar, along with Pizza Fusion's CEO Mark Begelman, COO Michael Gordon and Randy Romano, executive vice president of franchise sales, will discuss advances and technology available to restaurant operators looking to establish energy-efficient operations. Also speaking will be representatives from The Organic Trade Association.
Under the Food & Healthy Living track, is the session "Gluten Free on the Menu: Expanding Your Customer Base," to be held May 17 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
The session is being moderated by Nancy Baker, director of education with the The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Panel experts include Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies, The Whole Grains Council; Robert Hapanowicz, chief of operations, GF Naturals, and Sharon Fratilla, owner, Gluten Free Foodservices/Across the Board Resources.
Gluten-free products are becoming more mainstream as concepts such as Starbucks introduce menu items geared toward people with Celiac disease.
Starbucks announced April 21 its rollout of a gluten-free pastry in May. Additionally, French Meadow Bakery has a line of gluten-free products such as pizza crust, sandwich rolls and brownies it supplies to the restaurant industry.
Other sessions to be held during the 2009 NRA Show include:
- How to Build Your Workforce into a High Performance Team – May 16 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in room S403
- Translating International Trends into Restaurant Concepts – May 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in room S402b
- Bringing Restaurant Products to the Retail Market - May 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in room S404d
- On the Menu: What's Hot, What's Not and What's Next – May 17 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in room S403
Click here for the full listing of educational sessions.
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