Presented by Technomic, this in-depth look at the state of foodservice will address current headwinds facing the industry. Our discussion on industry sales and traffic data and over-arching trends will highlight technology’s growing impact on foodservice using Technomic’s Transaction Insights sales-performance tracking tool.

Restaurant Business recognizes companies that are revolutionizing their business model by using technology that results in operations improvements or an enhanced guest experience—and ultimately bottom-line growth. From among the three winners—one each from limited service, full service and emerging operations—one will rise to the top. Join us as we celebrate the innovations and accomplishments of Zume Pizza (emerging), Domino’s (limited service), and TGI Fridays (full service).  And then, of course, enjoy the excitement as we announce the Tech Accelerator of the Year! 

Ron will dig into the world of the blockchain, the distributed ledger technology that is rapidly changing many industries. After taking a look at its history and how to easily understand it, Ron will explore how blockchain is already affecting other businesses such as finance and healthcare, sharing specific test cases that bear striking similarity to processes within the restaurant industry. This will lead to a discussion of how different aspects of blockchain technology will impact restaurants. For instance, how will smart contracts affect the supply chain? How can automated rules within these smart contracts reduce management workload and increase efficiency? How does blockchain shared ledger technology allow all parties in foodservice transactions to be instantaneously aware of all the processes and statuses in a transaction? How can this technology be used to solve certain restaurant specific problems such as wage inflation? How could a private blockchain interact with machine learning to help you better serve your customers? This session will illustrate the Black Swan potential that this new technology will have on different industries worldwide, but specifically the massive impact it may have on the restaurant industry.

This overview of the technology needed to execute off-premise will dig into some of the current, ongoing logistical and integration issues for operators, as well as provide insights into the solutions and how the market will continue to adapt and evolve.

An entrepreneur, author and most notably the co-founder of Square, Jim McKelvey talks about how market demand is the driving force behind innovation, with those leading the charge able to identify and recognize a need to act, react and create change.