Autonomous trucks are game changers for the supply chain, taking a five day cross country trip down to two days. The presentation will speak to the added safety and efficiencies that this technology will bring to the industry. Additionally, the session will have a deep dive into the technology behind TuSimple and how it will scale in 2024. 

We now have a new normal in restaurant operations where your brand must skillfully juggle takeout, delivery, drive-thru and dine-in to remain relevant.  Newer operating models and options for digitizing your kitchen have emerged that both traditional restaurant brands and digital entrants are leveraging to adapt to the needs of changing consumers.  Join us as we share how brands big and small are creating digital kitchens to lower their costs, experiment with new concepts or expand into new markets.  

Join the CEO’s of Qu, Punchh, and SynergySuite whose companies are taking the enterprise restaurant technology space by storm with unified, data-driven strategies. Learn why today’s restaurant must leverage their data to inform their interactions through one single view of the guest across all their channels and tech stacks. We’ll discuss how you can significantly reduce the number of technology partners and points of failure; while increasing visibility into your business operations and revenue opportunities.

As third-party delivery heats up, especially with Gen Z and Millennial app users, it’s crucial to understand their new path-to-purchase behavior. In partnership with Technomic, Valassis conducted a research study and will share insights on how restaurants can capture this growing audience segment, drive brand engagement, and even inspire on-premise traffic.

Satisfying consumer preferences at the local level is crucial to successful LSM campaigns and ensuring the in-store experience exceeds expectations. To understand how consumers differ across market types, DIRECTV and Technomic executed research to obtain insights into consumer attitudes, frequency, drivers, restaurant category engagement and preferences across rural, suburban and urban markets. Join Rich Shank, VP of Insights at Technomic, to explore these variances and uncover ways to drive first and return visits in every market type.

The Food Fighters podcast (thanx.com/food-fighters), sponsored by Thanx, is fast becoming the talk of the industry as influential restaurant executives share their stories and insights about how to thrive in the competitive restaurant industry. But everyone's a little more cautious on a recorded podcast — come hear from some of the amazing restaurant executives we've interviewed in the last year as they open up in this off-the-record session.

Delivery is often touted as a necessary evil. The truth could not be further from this. It is considered evil because of wrongful notions surrounding this ever growing industry. We will list down some of them and objectively break down how they are wrong, and how delivery / online ordering can be used as a "profitable" growth driver for operators of all sizes - big or small.

Only 13% of frontline workers believe their organization’s leadership communicates effectively, contributing to a staggering 85% of workers who report being disengaged with their jobs. The result is poor customer service, employee retention, and store performance. Some brands are bucking this trend by investing in systems and processes to keep their frontline workforce more connected. Hear leading restaurant operators share their experience managing this important transition, and the surprising success it’s yielded for their business.

SMG has been closely following third-party delivery trends and their impact on the restaurant industry since our first published report in 2017. Join this session for our latest research on what customers care about most + how it’s impacting their behavior, must-know data about top third-party delivery providers, and ways to regain customer loyalty after third-party delivery failures.

The goals of full service concepts looking to scale aren’t new—increase frequency, improve retention, acquire valuable new guests. So what’s a critical differentiating factor between brands that make it big and those that remain no big deal? Data...and how it’s put to use. Join Mike Vichich (CEO, Wisely) as he grills four industry leaders on how they overcame analysis paralysis and now use actionable insights to make decisions, improve guest experience, and grow profits. You’re guaranteed to leave with something to chew on…

Existing data in your organization can drive unexpected guest acquisition, activation and engagement opportunities for your brand. This panel will discuss where to uncover and use data to identify, attract and retain new and existing customers by utilizing omni-channel media approaches including email, social media, direct mail, and loyalty.

Learn how to use your data to understand WHO your best customers are to Drive NEW CUSTOMER Traffic and increase spending of EXISTING CUSTOMERS through greater engagement. 

The foodservice supply chain offers incredible potential to 'make or break' a restaurant operation's success. Successful concepts utilize their supply chains to create lean end-to-end procurement networks that are scalable, safe, and reliable. Truly effective supply chain management reaches well beyond procurement to create robust data and analytics that can help gauge the strength of a concept and uncover impactful cost savings opportunities.

Hear from skilled Supply Chain Executives including operators, distribution experts and a manufacturer to learn 5 Steps to Supply Chain Success. 

Learn how consumer attitudes towards plant-based menus are changing, and how menus at all types of foodservice operations are evolving to meet the growing demand.   In this session, Technomic will provide examples of successful plant-based menu launches and limited time offers for every daypart and corner of the menu, from entrees to beverages and everything in-between.  Plus, you’ll find innovative ideas from plant-forward restaurant concepts that you can apply in your operation.

Do you know the impact of an engaged candidate experience? How would your new team members rate their orientation? Their first day? Welcome to the Experience Era: where every moment can (and should) be measured throughout an employee's journey. Find out the factors that matter most when optimizing an employee lifecycle, from your hiring process to your ongoing development strategy.

Customers want their food when they want it, how they want it, and where they want it. To get their piece of the over $64 billion catering industry, restaurant leaders must adapt to this on-demand digital era. Hear how a panel of executives from leading restaurant brands move their exceptional guest experience beyond their four walls and expand their businesses through catering. 

Your menu is the one constant in today’s multi-faceted restaurant landscape. It is your brand’s mouthpiece, your customer’s road map, and the key to profitability. Attendees of this session will learn how the most comprehensive menu research in 30 years can guide menu design, pricing and online ordering, which now encompasses 30% of all restaurant sales. Early adopter and 45-year-old pizza brand Mellow Mushroom will share key findings from their recent menu redesign, best practices and how the process is unlocking profitability.

Conducted by Revenue Management Solutions and the University of South Florida with design provided by Norton Creative, the four-phase research study, called “The Future of Menu Design,” includes biometric lab studies, lab-based choice analysis, focus groups, and field testing by such brands as Mellow Mushroom. 

Labor is the largest variable expense restaurateurs face on a recurring basis. Restaurants create the so called “Perfect Storm” for labor compliance issues. Come learn how to keep costs under control without spending an arm and a leg. There is not another suite on the market that can handle every need of a busy food service establishment. Discover how to effectively enhance your employee and customer experiences while keeping those pesky costs under control.

What’s behind the best concepts in the world? People that know how to execute. Hear from the leaders at Blaze Pizza and Noodles & Company on how they leverage mobile-first technology to achieve insane levels of employee engagement and connect their front lines to key corporate initiatives that drive consistent results. Join the interactive discussion and learn first-hand how to achieve 90+% employee engagement that drives revenue, reduces operational costs, and improves overall customer satisfaction.

On average, you know only a fraction of your guests. They’ve opted into online ordering or loyalty, but otherwise they are a mystery. During this session we’ll dig into unlocking menu, credit card and operational data to identify patterns in anonymous guest behavior; optimizing marketing spend; and driving operational efficiency.