News

Fast Casual Executive Summit to address new operating landscape

September 8, 2010

It has taken the fast casual segment more than 20 years to establish itself as a restaurant category leader. Now that it has, operators are continuing to collaborate with other executives in an effort to move the segment forward.

To help foster that growth, the Fast Casual Executive Summit will once again bring operators together in an open forum to discuss the challenges each of them face and the best practices that can be implemented to overcome those obstacles. The Summit will be held Oct. 10-12 at Chicago’s Sofitel Water Tower hotel.

Day one of the Summit will begin with a food tour to regional and national chains located throughout the Windy City. A special welcome and networking reception will then take place that evening at Sofitel's Le Bar to thank event sponsors, welcome new attendees and reintroduce old friends.

The sessions this year revolve around the theme Shaken, Not Stirred, a take on the line made famous by fictional book and movie character James Bond.

“The idea is to shake up the industry and its leaders in an effort to look for new solutions to old issues,” said event founder Paul Barron. “It’s no longer about using what has worked in the past because the last two years have created a new operating environment for brand leaders. This year’s Summit will take operators in a new thinking direction so they can reach a new level of business growth and development.”

Day two will begin at 7:30 a.m. with two concurrent workshops: Armed & Dangerous and Mission Critical.

Armed & Dangerous will focus on how restaurant operators can tap into the power of consumers as brand leaders who are in search of an emotional connection to the concepts they visit. Speakers include Husein Kitabwalla, president of Retail Brand Group, and Osman Khan, a professor at the Royal Docks Business School of East London.

Meanwhile, Mission Critical will focus on ways operators can motivate and engage their frontline employees, reducing turnover in the process. Session speakers include Rudy Miick, founder of HR consultancy Miick & Associates, and Kat Cole, vice president of training for Hooters.

Attendees will then have their pick of concurrent sessions that all lead up to the luncheon keynote, to be given by members of the National Restaurant Association’s Fast Casual Industry Council.

Speakers include Louis Basile, founder and CEO of Wildflower Bread Company, Don Fox, CEO of Firehouse Subs and moderator Paul Barron.

The day will then close with a group session on healthcare reform. Speakers include Betsy Craig, the president of MenuTrinfo. Craig will discuss the newly enacted healthcare reform bill as it pertains to menu labeling and its impact on the fast casual segment. A second speaker also will discuss the bill as it relates to employee health insurance.

A cocktail reception and dinner will then be held at Roy’s restaurant.

This year as in years past, the Summit has been designed to create an atmosphere of intimate discussion and collaboration among fast casual industry executives.

“Today, fast casual operators are still focused on delivering higher quality menu items, and are introducing unique products and partnerships that are changing the restaurant industry as a whole,” said Linda Duke, founder of Duke Marketing and a member of the Fast Casual Industry Council. “Standing out in the crowded marketplace is the name of the game today — being the consumer’s choice. Fast Casual brands are perfectly aligned with this thinking too.”

Click here to attend this year’s Fast Casual Executive Summit and to view the full agenda.