News

A capstone of collaboration

The 2007 Fast Casual Executive Summit aims for atmosphere of sharing.

August 16, 2007

When involved in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant business, it may be easy for executives and restaurateurs to forget that so many others like them are undergoing similar experiences.

Designed to foster relationships among these individuals and to encourage an atmosphere of innovative idea generation, the Fast Casual Executive Summit is set for Sept. 18 and 19 at the Hotel Palomar inDallas.

The invitation-only event is unique for several reasons, one of which is the atmosphere of openly sharing experiences, talents and ideas, saidPaul Barron, event chairman.

"We're focusing on a very elite group of executives, entrepreneurs and restaurateurs that have essentially built brands from scratch," he said. "It's a mindset that is open to sharing."

Fifty invitations were sent for this year's event, expected to reach capacity.

TheSummitwill begin at noon Tuesday with a luncheon and keynote address. Drawing on experiences from his 25-year career, Tim Pulido, CEO of Shakey's USA, will deliver the address: "Innovative brand topics for growth: Lessons learned on the front lines."

The schedule includes four 1½-hour collaborative sessions led by experts in their fields who will break down results of the Fast Casual Benchmark Survey. Barron will lead Tuesday's first session, "Industry awareness and strategic planning," closely followed by "Innovations for marketing and branding your fast casual business," led by Linda Duke, CEO and principal of Duke Marketing.

On Wednesday, Rudy Miick, founder of Miick & Associates, will discuss "Recruiting and retaining passionate people," then Pattye Moore, co-founder of Instincts LLC, will close with "New frontiers in franchising and expanding your brand."

To make the most of having so many top executives in close proximity, opportunities are scheduled for peer-to-peer communication, Barron said. Thirty-minute breaks between sessions can accommodate extended discussions as well as time for introductions or continued fellowship with other participants. Tuesday evening will feature one of theSummit's highlights, a private dinner event at the hotel's restaurant, Central 214.

Attending theSummitwill have a three-fold executive benefit, Barron said: networking with peers, "which they've shown that they love"; participating in guiding where the industry goes; and education.

Those planning to attend theSummitdid so to reap these benefits.

A first-time attendee, Aaron Kennedy, founder and chairman of Noodles & Company, said he signed up for theSummitwith his customers in mind.

"I elected to invest the time to participate in the planning of this summit and to attend it because I am committed to propelling this notion of providing Americans with high-quality, nutritious food ... quickly, conveniently and affordably," he said. "It's the cause I've devoted my last 14 professional years to and I'm just as driven and obsessed with this mission as I was when I launched Noodles & Company."

While Kennedy hopes primarily to learn about the goals of the group and how he might be able to add value in the years ahead, he said he's also looking forward to seeing some of the friends he's made in the business over the years.

Another first-timer, Michael Stimola, president and CEO of flatbread concept Sandella's, said he decided to attend theSummitto draw on the experience of others. His 125-unit company is new to franchising and he specifically wants to learn how his peers are finding real estate and what technology they are using.

Additionally, the event is poised to open the eyes of many in the industry.

Duke, who attended a similar Fast Casual event last year, said it was the first time a lot of segment research and sales data were shared, as well as the first time people saw the progress and predictions for the future.

The event last year, although smaller in size, led to the further development of this year'sSummit.

"I was pretty blown away to see the segment of fast casual broken out like that; to see and identify brands doing a great job," she said. "It's a whole new segment that's emerged, driven by consumer demand."

Set to distill the benchmark survey results and statistics as they relate to marketing and branding, Duke aims to help executives learn how to tackle critical issues and gather new innovations for marketing and branding for fast-casual concepts in a segment that is "growing like crazy."

Miick also hopes to equip attendees with an arsenal of tools that will continue to help companies long after the event has ended.

When people walk away from his discussion, "they'll leave with ideas, they'll leave with tools, they'll leave motivated and inspired to create high retention and high performance, especially in an environment where we often hear there's no loyalty."