Restaurant Industry Conference

explore. experience. expand.®
18 T H A N N U A L
Restaurant Industry
Conference
California Sets America’s Table
Tue, May 13, 2014
7:30am-6:30pm
Covel Commons, UCLA
Welcome to Our 2014 Conference
UCLA Extension is proud to present our 18th Annual Restaurant Industry Conference in
collaboration with world-leaders in brand development, food service, design innovation,
operations excellence, market analysis and customer satisfaction. That’s a mouthful but where
else in the world can you personally access the thinking of French Laundry’s Thomas Keller,
Ideation’s Joey Reiman, Beacon Economics’ Christopher Thornberg, as well as the leaders of
Yelp! and many emerging/rapidly growing new restaurant concepts? UCLA Extension serves
approximately 50,000 students annually through Westwood and other satellite campuses, plus
on-line courses serving U.S. and international students on a world-wide basis. In the Business,
Roger Torneden
Director, Department of
Business, Management,
and Legal, UCLA Extension
Management & Legal Department we focus our certificate programs and courses across areas
(i.e. web analytics and social media marketing, small business management, credit analysis,
finance, accounting, etc.) and on specific industries (i.e. Hospitality, Financial Services,
Consulting, Security, Real Estate, etc.). This conference is emblematic of Extension’s focus on
the development of both practical and strategic skills with a 2,000+ instructor team who are
top practitioners in their professions. We thank you for joining us this year and look forward to
seeing you again in future years! We also look forward to you and your employees taking
advantage of some of our 4,500 professional development and continuing education courses
offered each year.
Circle of Excellence Members
The following restaurant operating companies support the 18th Annual UCLA Extension Restaurant
Industry Conference in our advocacy of education, leadership development, networking, innovation,
and community involvement in the restaurant industry:
A Message from the Conference Chair
This year’s theme, “California Sets America’s Table,” rings true in so many ways.
Fabled California, the land of dreams and inspiration, is the most populous
U.S. state and home to one in every eight Americans. From Hollywood and
Disneyland, to Silicon Valley and Yosemite, California has something for
everyone. Its geography is amazingly diverse, with thousands of miles of
coastline, vast deserts, prolific farmlands, and primeval redwood forests.
California produces one-third of the nation’s food, and some of the world’s most
acclaimed wines. From a thriving technology industry to revolutionary green
farming, Californians work hard and transform the status quo constantly. Little
wonder then that California attracts visionaries, innovators and entrepreneurs –
such as our speakers!
Our Innovation Award winner is the world famous Thomas Keller, Chef/
Proprietor of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, and Ad Hoc, and winner
of multiple awards, including the title of “America’s Best Chef” from Time
Magazine. He will be interviewed by his long-time friend, and last year’s
Innovation Award winner, Dr. Tim Ryan, President of The Culinary Institute of
America. Our economic forecast is by one of California’s leading economists,
Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics and formerly of
UCLA’s Anderson Forecast. Chris will speak about California’s expanding
economy and provide guidance for the future. Our keynote speaker is Joey
Reiman, the founder of BrightHouse and the author of several best sellers,
including The Story of Purpose. Joey is one of the most uplifting, energizing and
focused speakers in the nation.
We are featuring the founders and CEOs of four ground-breaking, earlystage concepts: Mario Del Pero of Mendocino Farms, Dean Loring of Burger
Lounge, Rodney Eckerman of PizzaRev, and David Birzon of Snooze, an AM
Eatery. Three of these are California-born, and the fourth has chosen California
as its second market. The panel will be moderated by Russ Bendel, the leader
of another California original, The Habit Burger Grill, and will discuss how ideas
developed in California have changed the industry, including sustainability,
cause-based marketing, transparency, and locality. Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE
Restaurants, will speak about CKE’s philosophy toward franchising and deep
admiration of frachisees.
We have an interesting session with Morgan Remmers of Yelp! (another
California pioneer) on getting your customers to rave about you online. Wally
Doolin will help conference attendees learn how to gather and utilize “Big Data,”
with panelists David Gordon of The Cheesecake Factory, Pete Honer of Del
Taco, and Fred LeFranc of Results Thru Strategy. Our day will be rounded out
by a dual panel on Microbrands, Millennials and Customers of the Future which
will be led by Amanda Hite and include panelists from Eagle Rock Brewery,
Wurstküche Restaurant, Project Pie, Applebee’s and Alma Restaurants.
I am very proud to serve as Chair of the Conference, and very grateful to the
members of our Advisory Board and the educators of UCLA Extension for
their work in designing the conference curriculum and gathering such a potent
group of speakers. If you would like to become involved with the Conference
and explore sponsorship or other opportunities, please contact me at
[email protected].
Anna M. Graves
Conference Chair; Partner and Co-Leader of
the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group,
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Anna M. Graves
Conference Chair; Co-Leader of the
Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group,
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Anna Graves is co-leader of Pillsbury’s
Restaurant, Food & Beverage industry
group and a partner in the firm’s corporate &
securities practice. Ms. Graves has broadbased experience in mergers and acquisitions,
securities, finance, licensing, and general
corporate matters. Voted by her peers as one
of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers,” Ms.
Graves represents a number of restaurant
and retail clients. She concentrates her
practice in the core areas of M&A, emerging
growth companies (including start-ups),
capital formation activities including private
placements, brand licensing transactions,
supply and distribution agreements, private
equity investments, and SEC compliance
matters. Ms. Graves’ finance experience
includes acting as counsel for issuers, venture
investors, angel investors, private equity funds,
start-up companies, and selling stockholders.
Her M&A experience includes representing
both buyers and sellers, strategic acquisitions,
acquisitions through bankruptcy, other
distressed transactions, recapitalizations, and
structural reorganizations.
California Sets America’s Table
Conference Program
7:30-8:30am
10:15-10:40am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Networking Break
8:30-8:45am
10:40-11:30am
Welcome and Program Overview
Roger Torneden, Director, Department of Business,
Management, and Legal, UCLA Extension
Featured Speaker:
Christopher Thornberg,
Founding Partner, Beacon Economics
Anna M. Graves, Partner and Co-Leader of the Restaurant,
Food & Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw
Pittman LLP
8:45-9:45am
Opening Keynote:
Joey Reiman,
CEO and Founder, BrightHouse
The Story of Purpose
Some ideas are bigger than others, and the Master Idea—
your company’s purpose—is the biggest. When Nike said,
Just Do It, the company put a voice to the belief that humans
have no limits. When Disney asked people to wish upon a
star, they instantly established the powerful idea that life is
magical. The Story of Purpose offers a blueprint for creating
timeless messaging and powerful actions for both internal
and external stakeholders. Learn how to uncover what makes
your company distinctive and discover the fundamental force
behind your organization that no competitor can replicate or
replace. Through stories of purpose from purpose-driven
companies, Joey Reiman promises to help you guide, inspire,
and transform your organization.
9:45-10:15am
Featured Speaker:
Andy Puzder,
CEO, CKE Restaurants, Inc.
Economic Forecast:
Outlook for the California and Southern California
Economies with a Special Focus on the Restaurant
and Hospitality Industries
The discussion will cover the ongoing economic recovery
and attendees will gain insight into the direction the
economy will take over the near and long-term future. Dr.
Thornberg will present a thorough analysis of key economic
and industry indicators such as commercial and residential
real estate markets, employment/unemployment, consumer
spending, bankruptcies, business activity, personal income,
international trade, and GDP growth. The presentation will
also touch on the leading risks facing the economy, including
ideologically-driven political dysfunction in Washington DC,
the Federal deficit, and the slowing international economy.
11:30am-12:30pm
Harnessing the Power of Big Data
“Big Data” is still a concept that many restaurant leaders are
grappling with, but a big change is coming. According to
Juniper Research, restaurant operators plan to spend $55
billion annually on mobile marketing by 2015, almost double
the $28 billion level spent last year. But the power of data
extends beyond mobile marketing, geo-targeting and consumer engagement to include real-time sales reporting,
inventory management, new product development and faster,
more accurate menu item rollouts. Join us as we explore the
potential and benefits of harnessing the power of big data to
better engage consumers and improve the bottom line.
Moderator:
Wallace (Wally) Doolin, Founder and Chairman, TDn2K
Today’s Franchise: Creating Jobs, Spurring
Economic Recovery
As a nation driven by individual entrepreneurs, the U.S.
has produced more economic affluence across broader
socio-economic classes than any nation in human history.
The franchise community is a proud group and justifiably
so. Franchisees are the quintessential entrepreneurs. Mr.
Puzder will discuss CKE Restaurants’ philosophy on
franchising and will share some perspectives on issues
impacting our nation’s franchisors and franchisees.
Panelists:
David Gordon, President, The Cheesecake Factory,
Incorporated
Pete Honer, SVP of Finance, Del Taco
Fred LeFranc, Founder and CEO, Results Thru Strategy
All general sessions are held in the Grand
Horizon Ballroom of Covel Commons.
Luncheon & Innovation Award Presentation
Location: Palisades Room
12:30-2pm
Award Recipient:
Thomas Keller, (@Chef_Keller), Chef/
Proprietor of The French Laundry, Per Se,
Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery and Ad Hoc.
Publisher of Finesse Magazine
(photo by Deborah Jones)
Thomas Keller is renowned for his culinary skills and his
exceptionally high standards. He has established a collection
of restaurants that set a new paradigm within the hospitality
industry. He is the first and only American-born chef to hold
multiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin
Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor, the highest
decoration in France. He has received countless accolades,
including The Culinary Institute of America’s “Chef of the
Year” Award and the James Beard Foundation’s
“Outstanding Chef” and “Outstanding Restaurateur” Awards.
Keller began his culinary career at a young age, working in
the Palm Beach restaurant managed by his mother. He
relocated to France in 1983, where he worked in several
Michelin-starred houses including Guy Savoy and Taillevent.
He opened his first restaurant, Rakel, in New York City in
1986, then moved westward to California to work as the
Executive Chef at the Checkers Hotel in Los Angeles.
In 1994, Keller took ownership of The French Laundry in
Yountville, quickly garnering nationwide acclaim. His French
bistro Bouchon debuted in 1998, with Bouchon Bakery
following five years later, both in walking distance from The
French Laundry. The other restaurants in the group include
his family-style restaurant Ad Hoc also located in Yountville,
Per Se and Bouchon Bakery & Cafe in the Time Warner
Center in New York City, and outposts of Bouchon and
Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian in Las Vegas. In November
2009, he opened Bouchon in Beverly Hills and introduced
his newest concept Bar Bouchon in an adjacent space. In
May 2011 Keller opened Bouchon Bakery in New York
City’s iconic Rockefeller Center, followed by another unveiling of Bouchon Bakery in Beverly Hills later in August. In
December 2012, he simultaneously opened two additional
locations of Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
Keller is the author of five cookbooks, of which more than
one million copies are in print. His award-winning The
French Laundry cookbook debuted in 1999, followed by
Bouchon and Under Pressure, a cookbook dedicated
to sous vide preparations.
Interviewer:
Dr. Tim Ryan,
President, The Culinary Institute of America
Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute
of America (CIA) since 2001, has spent 30 years
with the college. A 1977 CIA graduate,
he is the first alumnus and faculty member to
become the CIA president. A Certified Master Chef, he holds
an EdD from The University of Pennsylvania and a BA and
MBA from the University of New Haven. As the CIA president,
Dr. Ryan established the CIA campus in San Antonio, Texas,
and the first CIA international campus in Singapore. He oversaw the CIA’s collaborations with Harvard to create professional conferences and helped create the annual, “Worlds of
Flavor International Conference and Festival” in Napa Valley,
acknowledged as one of the most influential forums on world
cuisines, food cultures, and flavor trends. Chef Ryan was
captain of the U.S. Culinary Team from 1986 to 1989,
leading the group to victories at the first Culinary World Cup
in Luxembourg and the Culinary Olympics in Germany.
2-2:15pm
3:45-4:15pm
Networking Break
How to Get Your Customers to Rave About
You Online
2:15-3:30pm
Should You Worry? – Microbrands, Milliennials and
Customers of the Future
Millennials are creating competitive concepts and changing
the way we eat. Should a traditional corporate restaurant
company be worried? Millennials are choosing their restaurants like our dads picked cars. Back then Dad aspired to
have a Cadillac for all it stood for, a strong American industry, prosperity, and a growing class of luxury post “winning”
WWII. Today’s millennial consumers want to associate with
food brands that have good ethics, support a cause, and
operate sustainably. We hear words like authentic and transparent. How they eat and where they eat is important to their
identity and it is changing ours. It’s no longer just about the
food and the service.
Join us for a lively discuss between two panels: one focused
on what it means to feed the millennial consumer and the
other on what it means to hire, train and promote the millennial employee. All hosted by Amanda Hite – a social media
guru who will lead us through this world of brand culture.
Moderator:
Amanda Hite, Co-Founder, Chief Change Officer,
BTC Revolutions
Panelists:
Courtney Guerra, Head Farmer & Forager, Alma Restaurant
James Markham, CEO/Founder - Project Pie
Shannon Scott, Executive Director, Marketing
Communications, Applebee’s
Ting Su, Co-founder of Eagle Rock Brewery and Eagle Rock
Brewery Public Houses
Tyler Wilson, Partner, Wurstküche Restaurant
3:30-3:45pm
Networking Break
There’s no question that receiving a positive online review
gives you the stamp of approval you need, especially when
95% of consumers are turning to the internet to find local
businesses.* In this presentation, you’ll learn how to effectively market your business both online and offline to generate the positive buzz you desire. *According to a 2014
survey from BrightLocal.
Speaker:
Morgan Remmers, Manager, Local Business Outreach, Yelp
4:15-5:15pm
Emerging Concepts: What Sets Us Apart
California has always generated – and welcomed – original
thinkers and visionaries. Our Emerging Concepts panel features the founders and chief executive officers of four
ground-breaking, early-stage concepts, three of which are
California-born, and the fourth of which has chosen
California as its second market. The panel is moderated by
Russ Bendel, the CEO of another California original, The
Habit Burger Grill. The panelists will discuss the innovative
qualities which distinguish their brands and allow them to
stand out from the competition, including engagement, transparency, seasonality, sustainability, cause-based, fresh,
locally-sourced, organic, and healthful.
Moderator:
Russ Bendel, CEO/President, The Habit Restaurants, LLC
Panelists:
David Birzon, CEO, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Mario Del Pero, Founder, Mendocino Farms
Rodney Eckerman, President & CEO, PizzaRev
J. Dean Loring, President and CEO, Burger Lounge
5:15-6:30pm
Closing Reception
Conference Speakers
Russ Bendel, CEO/President, The Habit
Restaurants, LLC. In June of 2008, Mr. Bendel
was appointed to Chief Executive Officer of The
Habit Burger Grill, originating in Santa Barbara,
California. Prior to working for The Habit, Mr.
Bendel joined The Cheesecake Factory,
Incorporated in July of 2007 as President and
Chief Operating Officer. Beginning June of 2001, Mr. Bendel
worked at Mimi’s Cafe as President and CEO. His other
experiences include Roy’s, Outback Steakhouse, El Torito
Restaurants and Panda Express. He holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Hotel Administration from Florida
International University in Miami, Florida. He currently is on the
Board of Directors for the California Restaurant Association
and has served as their Chairman. Mr. Bendel, also, is on the
Board of Advisors for the Collins School of Hospitality
Management, at California State Polytechnic University.
David Birzon, CEO “Old Major,” Snooze, an
A.M. Eatery. David Birzon is the former President
of Paradise Bakery & Café (1989-2007), and a
former SVP at Panera Bread (2007-2011). After
growing to 80 units and $140M + in sales,
including the development of a successful franchise program, Paradise Bakery was acquired
by Panera Bread in 2007. After moving his family to Colorado
and very deliberately taking 18 months off, Mr. Birzon joined
Snooze as its CEO in November of 2012.
Mario Del Pero, Founder, Mendocino Farms.
Mario Del Pero created Mendocino Farms with
his partner and wife Ellen Chen in 2003, opening their first unit in Downtown Los Angeles in
2004. Having grown to seven locations so far,
Mendocino Farms restaurants are some of the
highest grossing sales-per-foot restaurants in
the city, while also being some of the most loved. Most
recently, Mendocino Farms received an investment from private equity firm Catterton Partners and is now preparing to
grow to 30 units in the Southern California market by 2018.
Mario Del Pero continues to be the harbinger of the
Mendocino Farms lifestyle.
Wallace (Wally) Doolin, Chairman/Founder,
TDn2K. TDn2K is the holding company of
People Report, the leading restaurant industry
workforce intelligence company currently tracking 1 million employees monthly. He is also the
Chairman, CEO & Founder of Black Box
Intelligence, which provides revenue business
intelligence for the restaurant industry, tracking $40+ billion
annually, 18,000 restaurants and 100+ brands weekly.
Additionally, Mr. Doolin serves on the boards of Famous
Dave’s, Splick-It, PhaseNext Hospitality, and Share Our
Strength. Mr. Doolin is a past Chairman of the National
Restaurant Associations Education Foundation and board
member emeritus of the National Restaurant Association.
Rodney Eckerman, Co-CEO & President,
PizzaRev. Rodney Eckerman has served in a
senior management capacity in diverse areas
of the entertainment business, including
production design, touring, venue development,
venue operation and event presentation. Mr.
Eckerman’s career has included serving as
President of Pace Music, COO of NYSE listed SFX’s Music
Division, and Co-CEO and COO of NYSE listed Clear
Channel’s Music Division. While at Clear Channel, Mr.
Eckerman had P & L responsibility for operations with
gross revenues in excess of $1.4 billion, including food and
beverage operations grossing over $100 million per year with
operations spanning the US and a large part of Europe. He
brings his experience and past success to his newest venture with longtime partner Irv Zuckerman, where at PizzaRev
he serves as Partner and Co-CEO. In under 2 years
PizzaRev opened 10 corporate units in the Los Angeles area,
and they will more than double their number of restaurants
in 2014. PizzaRev added franchising to the portfolio with
franchise partner announcements in Minnesota, California
and Utah with more to come. “We intend on growing our
business strategically in targeted markets with an eye toward
securing the best franchise partners who’ll maintain the
same passion and level of excitement for PizzaRev that we
do,” stated Rodney Eckerman, Co-CEO and President.
PizzaRev is poised to continue its growth nationally with its
partner Buffalo Wild Wings Inc., which in 2013 announced
an equity-investment in PizzaRev
David Gordon, President, The Cheesecake
Factory, Incorporated. David M. Gordon, a
nearly 28-year veteran of the restaurant industry, serves as President of The Cheesecake
Factory Incorporated, the leading upscale
casual-dining restaurant in the United States
with revenues of approximately $2.0 billion.
Working directly with the Founder and CEO, he oversees all
aspects of the business including financial and strategic
planning, international restaurant development and operations, product procurement, and people development for
180 domestic restaurant locations with more than 33,000
staff members. Prior to his position as President, David was
the Chief Operating Officer where he led and developed
senior management teams while creating alignment and
accountability for results. His strategic leadership helped
guide field operations to exceed financial, operational, and
people targeted benchmarks while driving the company’s
culture and values. During David’s nearly 21 years with The
Cheesecake Factory, Incorporated he has held the positions
of General Manager, Managing Director, Area Director of
Operations, Regional Vice President, Senior Vice President
of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer. David completed The Executive Program in Management at the UCLA
Anderson Graduate School of Management in 2009.
Anna Graves, Conference Chair; Partner and
Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage
Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw
Pittman LLP (see Message from the
Conference Chair for full bio)
Courtney Guerra, Head Farmer & Forager,
Alma Restaurant. Getting her start in kitchens,
Courtney attended the CIA Greystone in Napa
Valley. Courtney briefly left Napa to work at
Meliesse, a two Michelin star Restaurant in
Santa Monica, under Chef Josiah Citrin.
Courtney returned to Napa to work under Chef
Christopher Kostow at The Restaurant at Meadowood, a
three Michelin star operation. It was while working at
Meadowood that Courtney fell in love with farming and also
her interests in foraging. In 2014 Courtney moved to LA to
begin her own urban farm. She broke ground on the Flower
Ave Garden in Venice in January of 2014, and by March of
2014 signed an exclusive contract with Alma Restaurant,
which was named “Best New Restaurant in America in
2013” by Bon Appetit. Courtney forages once a week for the
restaurant, as well as supplies produce from her urban farm.
Amanda Hite, Co-Founder, Chief Change
Officer, BTC Revolutions. (Be The Change)
Building Communities, Igniting Movements that
make Meaning and Money, and CEO and
Founder of Talent Revolution, Inc., lives her
message of “Be The Change” and, for those
who work with her and have heard her speak,
that message is forever tattooed in their conscience. Amanda
is revolutionizing the way companies think about social media,
employment branding, marketing, and maximizing their return
on talent. And most importantly, she’s an innovator who shows
that it’s truly possible to make both meaning and money by
utilizing social media for social good.
Pete Honer, SVP of Finance, Del Taco. Pete
Honer is the Senior Vice President of Finance
at Del Taco, a growing quick service restaurant
chain with over 300 company and 245 franchise units in 17 states. Pete has been with Del
Taco since 2000 and is responsible for all
financial planning, analysis and asset management functions for the company. Before joining Del Taco in
2000, he also worked for the oil and gas and healthcare
industries. Pete earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
Accounting at Arizona State University and a Masters in
Business Administration from the Graziadio School of
Business and Management at Pepperdine University.
Fred LeFranc, Founder/CEO, Results Thru
Strategy, Inc. Mr. LeFranc’s consultancy helps
companies, private equity, owners and C-level
executives identify and implement strategies
that deliver long-term sustainable success. He
aids executives to modify their behavior and
hone in on their natural strengths. Mr. LeFranc
has served on the boards of restaurant and technology companies for over 30 years. Previously, he was President and
COO of The Ruby Restaurant Group. Before that, he served
as CEO, President and director of LT Acquisition Corp.,
owners of Louise’s Trattoria.
J. Dean Loring, Co-Founder and CEO, Burger
Lounge Restaurants. There are two things
worth knowing about J. Dean Loring. He is
afflicted with a compulsive urge to serve guests
and he never stops thinking about how to make
the perfect hamburger-centric restaurant. In
2007 Mr. Loring co-founded Burger Lounge
with former banking CFO Michael Gilligan. Today the company owns and operates 12 locations throughout Southern
California. Burger Lounge began with a simple goal: “To create a place where guests can enjoy an indulgent burger they
can feel good about eating while providing non-meat eaters
and health conscious diners with truly healthy options.”
Coupled with innovative design and superlative service,
Burger Lounge is an award winning restaurant-company with
its sights on continued growth.
James Markham, CEO/Founder - Project
Pie. When was the last time a pizza place
cracked your list of top 5 restaurants? Let’s
be honest - most pizza lacks personality. Its
primary purveyors still make it in a hut, use
papa’s recipe, or reference a game that most
of America doesn’t even know how to play.
James Markham got sick of eating bad pizza and thought
the good stuff cost too much. So he set out to create a
fast casual, custom pizza restaurant, and ended up pioneering the category. After opening Mod Pizza in Seattle
and Pie-ology in California, both to popular acclaim, James
decided to move his idea forward. Project Pie is the next
generation; the culmination of James’ experience and
learnings - he’s created a customizable, craveable experience that has helped him carve out a category of his own.
Andy Puzder, CEO, CKE Restaurants, Inc. Mr.
Puzder is CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings,
Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.
Puzder is broadly credited with resurrecting
Hardee’s and turning CKE from a heavily
indebted company with declining profits and
sales to a profitable, stable and growing
company. Prior to joining CKE, Puzder served as EVP,
and General Counsel for Fidelity National Financial, Inc.
and CEO of Santa Barbara Restaurant Group, Inc.
Co-author of the book, “Job Creation: How It Really Works
and Why Government Doesn’t Understand lt,” Puzder is a
frequent commentator on economic, political and legal
issues in Wall Street Journal, Orange County Register,
POLITICO, Fox Business and others.
Joey Reiman, CEO and Founder, BrightHouse.
Named One of the 100 people who will change
the way the world thinks by Fast Company, Joey
Reiman is CEO & Founder of the global consultancy BrightHouse, a company whose mission
is to bring greater purpose to the business
world. Reiman’s frameworks and methodologies
have been adopted by the world’s most prestigious organizations including The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble,
McDonald’s, Chrysler and KPMG. Reiman’s newest book,
The Story of Purpose: The Path to Creating a Brighter
Brand, a Greater Company, and a Lasting Legacy, follows in
the tradition of his breakthrough business book, Thinking For
A Living, which created a global movement celebrating the
power of ideas. Reiman has helped build Applebee’s, was
the architect of McDonald’s turn around in the U.S. and
guided The Coca-Cola Company and the Carlsberg Group
to greater purpose and profit. Finding little good fare on his
arrival to Atlanta in 1996 from New York City, he built his
own restaurant, Horseradish Grill, which would become one
of this nation’s top restaurants according to Esquire
Magazine. For over a decade, Reiman has been teaching
Ideation – a term he coined – as an adjunct professor at
Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Joey is a frequent marketing and branding guest expert on CNN, and is
a monthly columnist for BE Magazine, created by Mahatma
Gandhi’s grandson, Arun Gandhi. World-enowned Professor
Philip Kotler calls Reiman, “The Moses of Marketing”.
Morgan Remmers, Manager, Local Business
Outreach, Yelp, Inc. Ms. Remmers consults with
local business owners interested in better
understanding Yelp and utilizing its free business tools. She hosts webinars for business
owners and contributes to Yelp’s, Blog for
Business Owners. Ms. Remmers also works
with Yelp’s small business advisory council and acts as a
liaison between the small-business community and different
divisions within Yelp. Prior to joining Yelp in early 2011, she
worked in the public relations industry, focusing on luxury
real estate, travel, and lifestyle brands. She graduated from
the University of Washington.
Shannon Scott, Executive Director, Marketing
Communications, Applebee’s, leads the brand’s
guest-facing communication strategy and
execution, advertising, epic digital and social
media, menu design and engineering, inrestaurant communications, branded entertainment, and overall agency leadership. With over
20 years of marketing experience, Shannon has marketed
everything from telephone services at Sprint to building
materials at Payless Cashways. All roads have led here
and she’s always looking forward, appropriately fulfilling
the Applebee’s brand promise of “See You Tomorrow.”
Ting Su, Co-founder of Eagle Rock Brewery
and Eagle Rock Brewery Public Houses, grew
up in a hard-working restaurant family in southwest Florida. Ting is a graduate of Emory
University with a B.S. in biology and holds a
Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the
University of Southern California, practicing
pediatric physical therapy for 10 years before leaving to fully
invest her time managing the daily operations for Eagle Rock
Brewery. Somehow, someway, Ting finds time in her
demanding schedule to also serve as a judge in the Beer
Judge Certification Program (BJCP) and is a Pink Boots
Society member. In addition, Ting is involved with a number
of civic activities, hosting a successful monthly Women’s
Beer Forum at the brewery, and consults with various community groups and local businesses to organize craft beer
gardens and events throughout the year.
Christopher Thornberg, Founding Partner,
Beacon Economics. Christopher Thornberg is
widely considered to be one of California’s
leading economists. An expert in economic
forecasting, regional economics, labor markets,
economic policy, and industry and real estate
analysis, he was one of the earliest and most
adamant predictors of the sub-prime mortgage market
collapse and of the global economic recession that followed
in 2008. Dr. Thornberg serves on the advisory boards of
Paulson & Co. Inc., one of Wall Street’s leading hedge
funds, and of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce,
Southern California’s largest not-for-profit business federation.
Between 2008 and 2012 he served as a Chief Economic
Advisor to the California State Controller’s Office and was
Chair of Controller John Chiang’s Council of Economic
Advisors. Dr. Thornberg holds a Ph.D in Business Economics
from The Anderson School at UCLA, and a B.S. degree in
Business Administration from the State University of New
York at Buffalo.
Tyler Wilson, Partner, Wurstküche Restaurant.
After spending four years of applying and re
applying to the Marshall School of Business,
Tyler left USC without a degree to open
Wurstküche Restaurant with his cousin in
downtown Los Angeles, CA. Selling gourmet
and exotic sausages paired with Belgium and
German Beers, Wurstküche Restaurant has established
itself as one of the top restaurant destinations in the city.
Tyler has recently opened the second Wurstküche
Restaurant in Venice, CA.
Conference Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest
beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than
500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of
the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our
Company’s portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater,
Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle.
Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages,
ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through
the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers
in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of
1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to
building sustainable communities, our Company is focused
on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint,
support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work
environment for our associates, and enhance the economic
development of the communities where we operate. Together
with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10
private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at
www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at
twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola
Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn
at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company
Enplug builds Social Billboards, exciting digital screens for
restaurants, retail stores, and cafes to showcase their live
social media feed, promote their own content, and more.
Enplug screens increase a venue’s sales and creates a
better customer experience.
The global Ernst & Young network has the largest integrated
real estate, hospitality, and construction practice of any Big
Four organization, with 5,000 professionals around the world.
We work hard to earn and maintain our clients’ trust and confidence, and have implemented methodologies, quality control
policies, supporting tools and technology, and training to provide quality services. Ernst & Young’s hospitality practice services more restaurant companies from the Nation’s Restaurant
News’ Top 100 Restaurant Companies list than any other firm,
including the largest restaurant company in the world. We
assist our restaurant clients in addressing the challenges that
confront them, including real estate issues, operational hurdles,
human resource constraints, and meeting financial objectives.
Our global network of professionals offers advice in a variety of
areas of interest to restaurants, including energy, risk management, tax, transactions, and human capital. Our approach combines entrepreneurial understanding and working knowledge of
restaurant issues with broad restaurant experience, significant
resources, and a diverse network of clients and contacts.
Foodservice Social Media
FohBoh (“Front of House”, “Back of House”) is the original
and leading online social network for the for the $1.5 trillion
foodservice industry. FohBoh’s mission is to build the world’s
largest, most vibrant and vital online community and food
technology resource to help restaurant professionals worldwide. FohBoh is a powerful engagement platform that gives
more than 20,000 industry stakeholders a voice in the global
restaurant industry. We are passionate about creating a next
generation community that engages you, educates you,
and helps you in your business. As we like to say, The
Conversation Starts Here™.
Gallagher Hospitality and Restaurant Group is a leading practice
within Gallagher Benefit Services. We understand that restaurants seeking to provide attractive, yet cost-effective, employee
benefit programs face complex issues, including a highly diverse
workforce incorporating hourly workers, salaried managers, trainers, corporate staff, and senior executives; a significant number
of part-time workers, unionized employees, or non-union employees; decentralization—making it difficult to process enrollments,
provide Internet access and in general, communicate with
employees; high turnover and the need for benchmarking tools to
stay competitive and retain employees; assistance outside of
normal corporate office hours; and the need for easy-to-understand communication materials to keep employees informed.
Addressing these difficult issues and implementing smart solutions can be time consuming for a busy restaurant leadership
team. That is why so many restaurants turn to GBS. We provide
the full breadth of expertise in employee benefits, compensation,
property casualty, and risk management that meet the everchanging needs of our current and prospective clients.
Celebrating over 100 years in business, Moss Adams is one
of the largest accounting and consulting firms in the nation.
Together with its affiliates, the firm provides insight and
expertise integral to its clients’ success, serving public,
private, and not-for-profit enterprises across the nation and
in a wide range of industries. Moss Adams LLP is a national
leader in assurance, tax, consulting, risk management, transaction, and wealth services. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors
LLC provides investment management, personal financial
planning, and insurance strategies to help clients build and
preserve their wealth. Moss Adams Capital LLC offers
strategic advisory and investment banking services, helping
clients create greater value in their business.
For more than 40 years, Nation’s Restaurant News has
served the information needs of foodservice professionals.
Today, offering integrated media solutions for changing times,
NRN is the media brand over 500,000 professionals turn to
every month to help them tackle the challenges facing the
foodservice industry. For operators, NRN provides a onestop resource for complete industry coverage in whatever
formats they prefer, whether print, digital, or web-based. For
suppliers, NRN’s audience-rich portfolio of print, digital, and
live-event products provides the reach, access, and flexibility
needed to open doors and grow businesses.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is a full-service law
firm which offers depth of knowledge in core industry sectors, including restaurant, food & beverage; wine, beer &
spirits; and consumer & retail. We deliver practice strength
to restaurant operating companies and their investors in
mergers and acquisitions, gift card law, ABC law, meal and
rest break litigation, trademark and trade dress protection,
brand licensing, franchising, consumer class action defense,
IPOs, debt financing, public and private equity transactions,
insurance coverage, and executive compensation and benefits. Our practice is organized to offer our clients a maximum return on the firm’s collective knowledge about our
clients’ businesses, industries, and legal issues. We work in
multidisciplinary teams that allow us to anticipate trends and
bring a 360-degree perspective to complex business and
legal issues—helping clients to take greater advantage of
new opportunities and better mitigate risk.
The current business environment demands that every company, new or established, optimize its profitability, outdistance the competition, be vigilant in its quest to attract top
talent, and grow revenue. Our focus is to help you make
more money, increase sales, and energize your team! We
save you money and optimize your profitability The restaurant
industry is in a period of turmoil; challenged by a housing
crisis, a credit crunch, and rising commodity prices, companies have slowed growth, reduced staff, closed locations,
and sought ways to reduce costs and increase sales. Our
supply chain, operations, and financial experts aid companies
in identifying cost savings in overhead and operating areas.
Recognizing the need for an immediate ROI, we perform an
assessment that defines potential savings and helps you to
execute a plan against your goals. For more details visit
resultsthrustategy.com.
Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. is the nation’s largest wine and spirits distributor and broker with operations in
35 markets. The multi-state distributor currently operates in:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware,
the District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico,
New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia and Wyoming. Southern also holds operating
licenses and permits in Nebraska and Texas. On a national
basis, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. employs
nearly 14,500 team members. Southern urges all retail
customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve and
enjoy its products responsibly. For more information about
Southern and its responsible consumption program, see:
www.southernwine.com.
Bronze Sponsors
Trinity Capital is an internationally recognized boutique
investment bank in the restaurant and food sectors. Having
completed approximately $10 billion of successful restaurant
assignments, Trinity boasts a client list that includes Burger
King, Yum! Brands, Panda, and Dunkin’ Brands. The firm has
also been engaged to complement the restaurant investing
efforts of many of the nation’s most successful private equity
organizations, including Bain Capital, Thomas H. Lee &
Company, The Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs Capital
Partners, and Sun Capital. Trinity has engaged or completed
over $1 billion in restaurant transactions in the past six
months. For more details visit trinitycapitalllc.com or call
(310) 268-8330.
Altametrics is an innovative market leading software company
based in Costa Mesa, CA. The company’s products are used
throughout the world by leading retail, restaurant and petroleum companies. Clients like McDonald’s, Chipotle, Taco Bell,
Wendy’s, Burger King, Friendly’s, and thousands of others
have deployed Altametrics solutions around the world. Our
software is the “behind the scenes” secret that enables our
Clients to serve their customers with the highest and best
customer service and profitability. If you have ever filled your
car with gas or eaten at a restaurant, chances are your
experience was made better by Altametrics.
Working with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, you have
access to the comprehensive integrated capabilities of one
of the world’s largest financial institutions which prides itself
on being connected. Our Restaurant Finance Group has
served up creative, forward-thinking solutions to operating
companies, franchisors and franchisees since 1984—from
advising on the capital structure of acquisitions to remodeling facilities, providing specialized knowledge across a broad
spectrum of products and services and investing billions of
dollars in the restaurant space along the way. Leveraging
our extensive experience and expertise, we work with you to
identify the connections between how you can raise, manage
and protect capital and achieve your strategic objectives
both globally and domestically. Our client relationships are
day-to-day, ongoing partnerships customized to help you be
successful over the long term.
Couponler gives you the ability to drive customers into your
doors using the power of the web, social media and email,
from one secure, easy-to-use dashboard. Without revenuesharing, deal-making, or sacrificing profit margins, you
create, control and track your online coupon marketing
campaigns, distributed to your audience, in a few simple
clicks. Empowering restaurant marketers with resources,
trends, case studies, and marketing tools, Couponler
provides a platform for day-to-day interaction with customers,
incentivizing real foot traffic from online engagement.
Become a powerful social business and increase your overall
volume from new and loyal customers today with Couponler.
Elevate My Brand (EMB) is a boutique marketing company
dedicated to elevating food, wine, and retail brands globally.
Our purpose is to bring new passions and flavors into people’s lives through food, wine, and fashion. We at EMB dedicates ourselves to this goal by helping new and existing
brands in these markets develop and implement full circle
marketing plans to successfully take their company or product to the next level. Whether you are re-branding, taking
your first steps into online marketing and social media,
launching a new brand or product, or are in need of highlevel brand strategy, EMB has a team that’s hungry to help.
FocalPoint is an investment banking firm that specializes in
mergers and acquisitions, private placements (both debt and
equity), and financial restructurings. The firm’s primary focus
is on middle-market companies. Recent restaurant clients
include Fuddrucker’s, John’s Incredible Pizza, Round Table
Pizza, and Daphne’s. For more information visit
focalpointllc.com.
Greenberg Glusker’s Restaurant, Food & Beverage Group
serves as local counsel to nationally known eateries with
California workforces, and advises the celebrity owners of
intimate, fine dining venues. From employment and litigation
counsel to asset purchases, mergers and acquisitions, and
from comprehensive real estate sales, leasing representation
and land use issues to trademark applications, Greenberg
Glusker counsels across the full range of operations, growth,
and business legal issues that restaurant clients encounter
today. See more at: http://www.greenbergglusker.com/
practiceareas/RestaurantFoodBeverage
NoshList is a waitlist management application for restaurants that uses text and phone call notifications to alert parties when their table is ready. Say good bye to paper
waitlists and clunky buzzer systems. NoshList is the easiest
and most effective way to manage a waitlist, and includes a
number of features for improving the guest wait experience
and powerful analytics for increasing operational efficiencies
Piper Jaffray is a leading investment bank and asset management firm serving clients in the U.S. and internationally. Our
proven advisory teams combine deep product and sector
expertise with ready access to global capital. Founded in 1895,
the firm is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices across
the United States and in Hong Kong, London, and Zurich.
TDn2K (Transforming Data into Knowledge) is the parent
company of People Report, Black Box Intelligence and White
Box Social Intelligence. People Report provides service-sector human capital and workforce analytics for its members on
a monthly basis. Black Box Intelligence provides weekly
financial and market level data for the restaurant industry.
White Box Social Intelligence, currently in beta, will deliver
unparalleled consumer insights and reveal online brand
health. Together they report on over 30,000 restaurant units,
one million employees and 40 billion dollars in sales. They
are also the producers of two leading restaurant industry
conferences: Summer Brand Camp and the Global Best
Practices Conference, each held annually in Dallas, Texas.
Technomic, Inc. is the most recognized and experienced
marketing research and management consulting firm serving
the foodservice industry. Founded in 1966, the company
has a broad and diverse base of domestic and international
clients, including major manufacturing, distribution, and
supermarket companies, as well as chain restaurants and
other foodservice operators, and related trade associations.
Technomic helps clients capitalize on growth opportunities
and meet market challenges by providing perspectives and
intelligence on a broad scope of topics.
Headquartered in San Francisco, The Culinary Edge is a
consulting firm specializing in developing and implementing
strategic branding, culinary, and operational solutions for the
food and restaurant industry. Their goal is to improve the
profitability and sustainable growth opportunities of clients,
from multi-unit international chains to start-up entrepreneurs.
Advisory Board
Daryl Ansel, Director of Food & Beverage,
UCLA Housing & Hospitality. Restaurant
industry veteran Daryl Ansel brings more than
two decades of experience to his duties as
Director of Food and Beverage for UCLA
Housing and Hospitality Services. His experience includes operations and finance in executive level positions at a diverse and prestigious group of
food service companies, including the Starr Restaurant
Organization of Philadelphia, Los Angeles-based Grill
Concepts (NASDAQ: GRIL), and Universal Studios
Hollywood. Mr. Ansel holds a Bachelor of Arts in
Economics from the University of California at Berkeley
and a Master’s in Hospitality Management from Cornell
University’s School of Hotel Administration.
Lynda Boyer, Vice President, CBRE, Inc.
Since 1982, Ms. Boyer has been a trusted
advisor to restaurateurs across the country.
She has successfully represented restaurant
owners, operators, chefs, developers, landlords, shopping centers, and investors in the
acquisition, disposition, development, and
leasing of restaurant-related real estate. Ms. Boyer received
her undergraduate degree in Finance from the Haas
Business School at the University of California, Berkeley.
She also worked as a professional development officer for
UCLA, raising unrestricted funds for the university for 15
years. Ms. Boyer is also a member of the C5 Youth
Foundation Board of Directors.
Kevin Burke, Managing Partner and Founder,
Trinity Capital LLC. Mr. Burke joined Franchise
Mortgage Acceptance Company, the nation’s
largest franchise lender, in 1997 after executive
roles at investment banking firms in New York.
In 2000, he formed Trinity Capital LLC, a Los
Angeles-based investment banking and restructuring boutique. An acknowledged leader in the U.S. restaurant industry, Trinity has engaged in approximately $20 billion
of transactions since it began. The firm has served as an
investment banker or restructuring advisor for Taco Bell,
Burger King, Dunkin Brands, Yum! Brands, Red Robin
Gourmet Burgers, Metromedia Restaurant Group, Farmland
Industries, Schlotzsky’s, El Pollo Loco, Quiznos, Church’s
Chicken, and many others.
Huntley Castner, Chief Executive Officer,
Yogurtland Franchising Inc. Prior to joining
Yogurtland, Mr. Castner served as Vice
President, Strategy and Finance on the senior
team at Panda Restaurant Group. Before
joining the Panda team, Mr. Castner worked
at several strategy consulting firms, including
Swander Pace & Company and LEK Consulting. He also
founded and operated the San Francisco-based WA-HA-KA
Mexican Grill and Baton Rouge Cajun Roadhouse restaurants during the 1990s.
Damon S. Chandik, Managing Director, Head
of Restaurant Investment Banking, Piper
Jaffray & Co. Mr. Chandik is a managing
director at Piper Jaffray and is head of the
firm’s Restaurant Group. He is focused on
providing investment banking and mergers
and acquisitions advisory services to restaurant companies. He has 15 years of investment banking
experience, including public equity and debt offerings,
private capital raising, mergers, acquisitions, leveraged
buyouts, and recapitalizations.
Wallace (Wally) Doolin, Chairman/Founder,
TDn2K (see Conference Speakers for full bio)
David E. Goldstein David joined Sharky’s
Woodfired Mexican Grill as Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer in 2007. David brings
his extensive background in the fast casual
sector to Sharky’s. David is a restaurant industry veteran with more than twenty-five years of
progressive management, operations and R&D
experience. David has been involved at the executive level
in the expansion of three chain restaurants with over 200
locations nationwide.
Steven Goldstein, Partner, The Culinary Edge.
With more than 25 years’ experience in the
foodservice and consumer packaged goods
industries, Mr. Goldstein focuses on client
development and management, linking food
creativity with business strategy and brand
attributes to help deliver sustainable growth.
His company provides branding, culinary, and operational
solutions for the food and restaurant industry. Mr. Goldstein
is a graduate of the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant
Management at The University of Houston, Texas, and The
Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.
Anna M. Graves, Conference Chair; Partner
and Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food &
Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop
Shaw Pittman LLP (see Message from the
Conference Chair for full bio)
Sarah Grover, Executive Vice President and
Chief Concept Officer of California Pizza
Kitchen, Inc. Sarah Grover joined CPK in 1990.
Today she has responsibility for leading the
brand strategy, marketing, communications,
guest relations and consumer insights for the
worldwide brand. Sarah has been recognized
as one of the “Marketing 100” and “Marketing 50” respectively, by Advertising Age magazine, a distinction given to
the top marketers in the United States. Prior to joining
California Pizza Kitchen, Sarah held marketing leadership
roles at the Los Angeles Museum of Art, the Music Center
of Los Angeles County and CNN, Washington DC bureau.
Sarah is a graduate of DePauw University.
Rod Guinn is restaurant industry coverage
leader with FocalPoint Partners LLC, a board
advisor of FohBoh, Inc., and a director of
Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza. Before FocalPoint,
Mr. Guinn led Wells Fargo Foothill’s Restaurant
and Hospitality business. Several years before
this, he led FleetBoston Financial’s Restaurant,
Food & Beverage Group. Mr. Guinn has spoken at numerous
industry and capital markets events. He writes an occasional
blog on restaurant finance and related topics available on
FohBoh and other sites. Mr. Guinn holds a Master’s in
Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of
Business Administration, Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor
of Arts from the University of New Mexico.
Justine Hunter, CPA, Business Assurance
Partner, Moss Adams LLP. Ms. Hunter has
practiced public accounting since 1984, working closely with private equity firms and providing acquisition and due diligence services, as
well as audits and reviews, financial structuring,
complex equity structuring, and tax earn-outs.
She has participated in more than 15 public fundings for her
clients, including IPOs, public debt transactions and restructurings, and public merger transactions. At Moss Adams, she
maintains a large roster of prominent restaurant clients,
including the Habit Burger Grill, Grill Concepts, SoCal Pizza,
Lazy Dog Cafe, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and California Pizza
Kitchen. Prior to Moss Adams, Ms. Hunter focused on the
restaurant industry at Ernst & Young.
Fred LeFranc, Founder/CEO, Results Thru
Strategy, Inc.
(See Conference Speakers for full bio)
Janet Lowder, President, Restaurant
Management Services. Ms. Lowder heads a
Los Angeles-based restaurant and foodservice
consulting firm, specializing in strategic
planning, business valuations, site analysis,
market research, concept evaluations, litigation
consulting, and expert witness testimony.
During the past 24 years, Ms. Lowder has been a UCLA
Extension instructor teaching courses such as The
Restaurant Industry – Survey of Operations & Management,
Starting Your Own Restaurant, and Restaurant Controls for
Profit Improvement. Ms. Lowder received a BS in accounting
from USC and studied restaurant management at the
University of Hawaii.
Dian Melius, Western Regional Sales Director, Penton
Media. Ms. Melius is Western Regional Sales Director for
Penton’s Restaurant Group. She works with West Coastbased food and equipment manufacturers to create integrated print and digital promotional programs to reach
commercial and noncommercial food service decision makers. She has more than 15 years of experience in foodservice marketing and media sales. She earned a BA in
journalism from the University of Minnesota and an MBA
from the University of St. Thomas.
Michael Patrick, Managing Director for
Gallagher Equity Advisors, the Private Equity
Practice of Arthur J. Gallagher. Mr. Patrick is
responsible for the growth and management
nationally of the company’s private equity practice, which advises the private equity community
on acquisitions and strategic implementation of
employee benefits across industries. He is also responsible
for new client prospecting, client renewals, marketing, claim
analysis, client management, employee surveying, industry
benchmarking, and seminars.
Ron Paul, President, Technomic, Inc. Mr. Paul
is president of Technomic, which provides
consulting and market research services to
suppliers, distributors, and chain restaurant
organizations. The company has conducted more
than $100 million in client-funded research on
the restaurant and foodservice industry and publishes the Technomic, Inc. Top 500 Report, an annual analysis
of the chain restaurant market. A frequent speaker at industry
events and a media outlet resource, Mr. Paul co-wrote
Winning the Chain Restaurant Game: Eight Key Strategies.
Lauralynn Rogers is Director of the Internal
Audit function for DineEquity, franchisor of
IHOP and Applebee’s. She is responsible for
internal control and process improvement,
the franchise sales reporting program, and
Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Ms. Rogers
makes regular presentations on audit and
internal control matters to the Audit & Finance Committee
of the DineEquity Board of Directors.
Teresa Siriani, Industry People Expert. Ms.
Siriani is passionately devoted to the people of
our industry and to ensuring “No Kid Hungry”
becomes a reality. A proud graduate of UCLA,
Ms. Siriani has had the pleasure of being in
leadership positions at Restaurants Unlimited,
Peasant restaurants, Wolfgang Puck Food
Company and People Report. Today she works with organizations to improve their employee engagement and devotes
herself to Share Our Strength, the nation’s leading anti-hunger organization. She serves on the board for Share Our
Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry and serves as chair
for Taste of the Nation – Laguna Beach. Teresa knows that
together we can end childhood hunger!
Robert D. Velasquez, Audit Senior Manager,
Ernst & Young, LLP. Mr. Velasquez has over 12
years’ experience in serving the attestation
needs of high-growth companies, both publicly
held and private, in the real estate, hospitality,
and construction industries. In addition, he has
extensive experience in the coordination, scoping, and testing for various entities that are required to comply with section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. His clients
have included IHOP Corp, Applebee’s International Inc.,
Panda Restaurant Group, Elephant Bar Restaurants,
Pinkberry, and King Taco, Inc. Robert is a CPA in the State
of California and earned his BS in Business Administration
with an emphasis in Accounting from California State
University, Los Angeles.
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Foodservice Social Media
Bronze
15529-14. Not printed at state expense. Printed with green ink on recycled paper.