Photo Gallery

Photo gallery: Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit 2016

More than 140 franchise execs gathered last week in Dallas at the Franchising Restaurant & Innovation Summit.

Attendees dined under the dinosaurs at the Perot Museum as part of the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit

April 5, 2016

More than 140 franchise execs gathered last week in Dallas at the Franchising Restaurant & Innovation Summit, where they enjoyed networking opportunities and learning from some of the most successful restaurant operators in the business. Keynote speakers included Andrew Gruel, CEO of Slapfish; and Barry Westrum, EVP of Marketing for Dairy Queen International. Other speakers, including  Smashburger's Tom Ryan, Laura Rea Dickey, CIO of  Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants; Jeff Dinard, CIO of On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Carl Howard, CEO of Fazoli's, discussed a variety of topics imperative to running a successful franchise, including:
 

• International expansion
• Attracing Millennials as franchisees
• Social media and branding
• Mobile marketing
• Food safety
• Menu trends
• Supply chain
• enhancing kitchen opps
• Financing options
• The Internet of Things
• and the State of the industry

Attendees also dined with the dinosaurs at the Perot Museum. Check out the photo gallery if you missed the Summit or if you were there and just want to look back over the good memories you made.